Reflection of In the Time of the Butterflies

Finally! I am done with the book! Although I am glad to have finished the book, I really enjoyed reading it. I would consider this book one of my favorites due to the fact that it is a story based on history. Most importantly, I loved how Julia Alvarez made us feel connected with the characters of the book.

How I felt when reading In the Time of the Butterflies

Courage

Ah at last, the final chapter of the book is over with! In my opinion, Chapter 12 of In the Time of the Butterflies was really one of the most captivating ones I've read due to the courageous acts the sisters commit, especially Dede. When Dede and Minerva are on their way to Monte Cristi, the police pull them over and tell them to identify themselves. Then, unexpectedly, Dede says "I'm Minerva" (Alvarez 278). This event alone is one of the most courageous things she has done yet. Dede puts herself in danger by lying to the police to protect her sister. Dede is usually the one who is obedient to the law and tries to stay out of trouble but this changes when it comes to the danger of a family member. Through this, Alvarez shows that courage is sacrificing yourself for the benefit of others.

I chose this GIF because it is similar to the situation going on in the book. Katniss Everdeen puts herself in danger for her sister just like Dede did with Minerva

Rhetoric Device: Anaphora

"A cortege of guards in dress whites came through, followed by a handful of sorry-looking boys, their skulls visible under their shaven heads, their eyes big and scared, their faces swollen with bruises."

At the end of Chapter 10, Patria is awaiting the release of her son Nelson. This is a very significant event as Patria repeatedly talked about it and prayed for this day to come. As the prisoners are released along with her son, she is stunned with their conditions. Alvarez describes the group as "a handful of sorry-looking boys, their skulls visible under their shaven heads, their eyes big and scared, their faces swollen with bruises" (Alvarez 255). This anaphora is filled with vivid imagery and the reader can easily visualize the guards bringing them in. The repetition of the word "their" emphasizes the state of the boys and the torture they faced like how with their skulls were visible and the bruises. Along with that, Alvarez writes “their eyes big and scared” showing the fear they held.  This all ties back to the overall theme of authoritarianism to show how people are punished if they disagree with dictators even if its for something they stand for.

The feeling Patria got when seeing her son

Change and Transformation: Patria

Before reading Chapter 8, Patria is seen as a warmhearted, religious citizen who is obedient to the law and will not support the rebel movement. However, during Chapter 8, she begins to experience a transformation in which she turns to a woman who is willing to oppose Trujillo's regime for the good of her family. This transition is present as Patria watches a boy being gunned down by government forces. What made this dramatic was how she connected this boy with her children. For example, Patria described him as "a boy no older than Noris" (Alvarez 162) and even carried him as if it was her son. She then states that she is "not going to sit back and watch her babies die, Lord, even if that's what You in Your great wisdom decide" (Alvarez 162). From this point on, she considers herself a changed woman and joins the rebel movement alongside her sisters as she can no longer watch her country being mistreated by Trujillo, which reveals the theme of Change and Transformation. Patria is now Mariposa #3!

This scene sort of depicts how Patria carried the dead boy

Figurative Language

"We've traveled almost the full length of the island and can report that every corner of it is wet, every river overflows its banks, every rain barrel is filled to the brim, every wall washed clean of writing no one knows how to read anyways." 

At the end of Chapter 6, this anaphora stood out for me the most for the reason that it portrayed the situation of the country with Rafael Trujillo in power. Not only that, it shows how the population of the Dominican Republic lives under political oppression. The rain represents Trujillo's power so by describing that it was everywhere emphasizes the theme of authoritarianism. The people can not do anything about this due to the fact that "no one knows how to read or write," (Alvarez 117).  The government is able to manipulate the civilians without them noticing. Because of this, they are not able to recognize the harm that Trujillo causes. Also, the revolution is slower to start.

The state of the Dominican Republic under El Jefe

Conflict

From the start of the novel, it is evident the main external struggle is against the tyrannical dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, also known as "El Jefe", and how he controls the people. Having all the power in Dominican Republic, he knows he can get anything and anyone, especially women. El Jefe likes young women whose lives he ruins by using them for sex until he gets tired of them. This conflict is present when he dances with Minerva and draws her in "so close that she can feel the hardness at his groin pressing against her dress" (Alvarez, 100). By doing that, he reveals what he wants, but Minerva refuses to give in.

Minerva's reaction when Trujillo touched her.

Besides external conflict, internal conflict is also present in this novel and is most notable in Patria. For a while she had been torn between becoming a nun and becoming a woman focused on earthly matters. A good example of this was when her miscarriage happened and made her question her faith, eventually losing it for a small period of time. However, seeing how this affected her husband made her regain it back and move on because it was tearing them apart.