What Are Gender Roles In Julia Alvarez's In The Time Of The Butterflies

Julia Alvarez's historical novel, In The Time of the Butterflies, captures the lives of the Mirabal sisters and the Dominican Republic under the appalling dictatorship of Trujillo. Unfortunately, in a dangerous scheme to overthrow Trujillo, the Mirabal sisters meet their tragic fate. Before their death, these martyrs dodged through dozens of obstacles. In the Dominican Republic, it was extremely difficult for women to be respected and taken seriously because they were seen as domesticated and inferior. This old ideology of gender roles gravely affected the Mirabal sisters and their participation in their revolution against Trujillo; however, they still managed to challenge these gender limitations throughout the book. Throughout the book, it becomes apparent that the Mirabals' husbands are obstacles that prevent them from participating in the revolution. For example, Dedé's husband prevented her from participating in the revolution. On page 179, Alvarez writes, "'What if I can't?' Dedé's voice shook. 'Jaimito thinks its suicide. He's told me he'll have to leave me if I get mixed up in this thing' There, she said it... she was hiding behind her husband's fears, bringing down scorn on her on him instead of herself." This demonstrates the power that Jaimito has

Women were given more rights and opportunities. Previously, it was difficult for women to make good money. For example, Minerva struggled to get her lawyer degree and become a lawyer because she was a woman. Now, the new female generation of the Mirabal's are successful and making good money. On page 304, Dedé says, "smart young men and women making good money. They aren't like us, I think. they knew almost from the start they had to take on the world." This demonstrates the transformation of society after the Dominican Republic. After Trujillo's regime ended, The Dominican Republic became a more independent and free