Summary Of The Novel 'In The Time Of Butterflies' By Julia Alvarez

As stated by Cheryl James, “Change is not an event, it is a process”. Julia Alvarez's "In the Time of Butterflies” develops Minerva’s character through both story structure and character-driven elements. Through these devices Minerva's character serves as a prominent symbol of social change within the story, evolving from a naive schoolgirl to a courageous woman that fought against Trullijo’s regime.

One of the ways Julia Alvarez developed Minerva’s character in “In the Time of Butterflies” is by the way she structures the story. Each chapter’s time frame may not be chronological, but about the specific chapters that focus on them, they do follow their lives in chronological order. The telling of Minerva’s specific story in chronological order,

Primarily, Alvarez portrays Minerva as strong-willed as seen by her interactions with Trullijo, and justice-oriented, which is seen through the fact that she aspired to become a lawyer and that she was the first sister to join the underground resistance under the alias of ‘Las Mariposas’. In chapter 6 the Minerva States, “I’d sooner jump out that window than be forced to do something against my honor” (Alvarez, pg.111), and she proves this through prior actions by boldly rejecting Trujillo after his relentless advances towards her. The text states, “I push away, a little more decidedly, again he pulls me aggressively to his body. I push hard, and he finally must let me go.-- "Anything else bothers you about my dress I could take off?" He yanks me by the wrist, thrusting his pelvis at me in a vulgar way, and I can see my hand in an endless slow motion rise— a mind all its own— and come down on the astonished, made-up face” (Alvarez, pg.100). This goes to develop Minerva’s character as a strong-minded and bold individual that values good morals and solidarity, which would aid in her future endeavors with working in the underground