In The Time Of The Butterflies Gender Analysis

In the Time of the Butterflies, characters are seen making morally challenging decisions. Maria Teresa, Mate, is the youngest Mirabel sister. She is described as virtuous and fears elementary things. However, Mate and Minerva are held captive in prison. Fortunately, The OAS Peace Committee schedules to interview a prisoner in each pavilion, Mate has been selected. Yet, along with this news, Minerva confronts Mate. The older tells her she must complain and expose what has happened in the cells. If she plans to do this, Santiclo will be executed. Maria Teresa is faced with the choice of disclosing the horrors and having her friend potentially murdered, or do what the guards wish and be compliant. The verdict is influenced by Minerva and the

By recounting numerous tragedies and their effect on people throughout the story, Alvarez emphasizes the wickedness behind suppressing one’s unassailable rights while also underlining the importance of sacrifice. The difficulties of the Mirabal family to live under the Trujillo rule and still resemble a family ultimately culminate in the deaths of Maria Teresa, Minerva, and Patria and the removal of Rafael Trujillo. Readers are more adept to connect and respect the story of the Mirabals due to Alvarez’s constant reverent tone. Though lacking the same valor as each sister, Julia Alvarez does carry the same sense of passion in herself and for human rights. In the Time of the Butterflies will be a novel remembered throughout the ages, just as Julia Alvarez had

It was highly expected for the women to obey either their husbands or father’s decisions. At that point in time women weren 't as well respected, men were always the most dominant. Julia Alvarez could portray that otherwise by the four sisters showing women 's self-worth and righteousness. Minerva was unhesitant about women 's right she was first to join against Trujillo. Each sister had strong characteristics to show their willingness to not give up on a better life for them and their children. "Your responsibility is to your children, your husband, and your own! His face was so clouded in anger; I couldn 't see the man I loved" (Alvarez 166). Patria 's husband was filled with anger due to her decision that she wanted both her and her husband to take part of the resistance with their eldest son, but Pedrito was more worried about losing his land when it was Partia 's dad 's land to begin with. ""What if I can 't"" Dede 's voice shook. 'Jaimito thinks it 's suicide. He told me that he 'll have to leave me if I get mixed up in this thing. ' There, she 'd said it... She was hiding behind her husband’s fear"(Alvarez 180). This quote showed that Dede was the one with the most fear in her heart, she was afraid that Jaimito would leave her if she were to join with her sisters. As the reader, we come to realize how

In Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies the theme of entrapment is seen multiple times throughout the book, mainly to represent the authoritarian regime of Trujillo. There are several different types of entrapment in the book but the main three are the discovery of entrapment, physical entrapment and the roles of women holding back the women from fulfilling their destinies. These three point mainly surround Minerva, who can be considered the bravest sister for being the first one to get involved with the revolution, but the other sisters deal with entrapment as well.

In the Dominican Republic, women were expected to go by what their husbands and fathers said. Women portrayed to have less power and authority than men. In “In the Time of the Butterflies”, the Mirabal sisters showed something very differently, instead they demonstrated the equal authority they have with their husbands. Their power challenged gender limitations that were forced on them by their patriarchal Dominican culture.

In chapter 11 of In the Time of Butterflies, a positive aspect of prison for Maria Teresa is the strong relationships she built with the other women because it gave her something to depend on while she was going through tough times. On April 8, Maria Teresa wrote about her conversations with the other women in prison. Her and another lady Magdalena started talking about the strong connection that all the women shared in jail. After the conversation began between the two, the other women came over to Maria Teresa and Magdalena and started to share their ideas and opinions. All the women were starting to come together as a group and their relationships were getting stronger. Maria Teresa says, “Sometimes I feel it in here, especially late at

After the sisters find out about their husband’s prison transfers, Minerva says, “Not only was there nothing in the world we could do to save the men, there was nothing in the world we could do to save ourselves either” (Alvarez 283). Minerva knew her eventual fate but put the people of the Domincan Republic’s lives over her own. Just as Minerva is about to go up the mountain she would soon get murdered on she says, “I don’t know quite how to say this, but it was as if we were girls again. Walking through the dark part of the yard, a little afraid, a little excited by our fears, anticipating the lighted house just around the bend” (Alvarez 297). Minerva outlines in this quote that despite her massive evolution into a symbol of political rebellion, she still sometimes feels like she’s a child again. Minerva uses the values that she gained in her childhood to not give up the seemingly never ending fight against the Trujillo regime.

Women’s struggle for power in a patriarchal society has been a monumental fight throughout the ages, and even now women around the world fight for the right to simple rights like an education, and voice within society. In Julia Alvarez's book In the Time of the Butterflies the character Minerva Mirabel portrays women’s fight for power through her own personal struggle for power in her home against her father, and in the Dominican Republic society against Trujillo, and patriarchal norms of the time.

In society many find that males hold dominance and make all of the major choices. This is just a stereotype that many people seem to believe. There are many stereotypes for a variety of concepts but that does not mean they are true. There are few females that stand up against sexist stereotypes, but for the few people who have spoken out against them literature has been an effective way of getting their message out. Feminism has impacted literature in several ways; it allows people to share their messages about stereotypes. In the book In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez there are many times when feminism is present, along with the many stereotypes found in the Dominican culture.

From the start of the novel Dedé has been very noncontroversial. When her sisters are going to school she volunteers to stay home and help their father with the shop. Later on when her sisters encourage her to join in the movement against Trujillo Dedé’s husband, Jaimito, tells her she can not join. Following her husbands orders, “Dedé sent Patria a note: Sorry Jaimito says no. And for weeks afterwards, she avoided her sisters”(177). Choosing to not join the revolution made Dedé feel weak, but ultimately this decision is what saved her life. By following her instincts, comparatively to how butterflies follow their inner compass, she was able to be the lone surviving Mirabal sister. After her sisters deaths she became more involved in the movement and she grew braver. Dedé is a butterfly because she followed her instincts, but was able to be brave when the time

Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies is a work of historical fiction set in the Dominican Republic that focuses on the four Mirabal sisters who bond together to rebel against the corrupt leader of their country, Rafael Trujillo. The four Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa form closer relationships with each other as they figure out a way to bring down the tyranny of Rafael Trujillo. Although they have a mutual goal, each of the Mirabal sisters has different feelings and thoughts throughout this time period. The theme of coming-of-age and identify is best exemplified through the character of María Teresa, known as Mate, through the ways she matures throughout the novel and becomes her own person who stands up for what she believes in.

Courage is strength in the face of pain. Julia Alvarez portrays different types of courage in her novel, In the Time of the Butterflies. The novel is set during the time of Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. As a result, some of the Mirabal sisters; Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Patria, to take a step in joining a revolution against him. Focusing on Patria, after listening to advice about joining the revolution she has made her final conclusions about what she wanted to do about the situation. Julia Alvarez uses Patria's faith in God as an illustration of courage. Patria is a very religious person. She used her faith in God to help her get through difficult situations demonstrating moral, physical, and emotional courage in time of danger.

Throughout history, women have made a name for themselves. By rising up and fighting for something that they believed in, the Mirabal sisters made a name for themselves in the Dominican Republic and in Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies. By applying a theory to a novel, readers can relate the book to the world they are living in today (Davidson). Feminism can be defined as a dynamic philosophy and social movement that advocates for human rights and gender equality (“Feminism”). Feminist Theory involves looking at how women in novels are portrayed, how female characters are reinforcing stereotypes or undermining them, and the challenges that female characters face (Davidson). Feminist Theory can be applied to In the Time of

In The Time Of Butterflies was written by Julia Alvarez. Julia Alvarez is a Dominican-American poet, novelist, and essayist. She wrote In the time of Butterflies in 1994. The book divided into four sections, which make the sisters to have their own sections. The story took place in Dominican Republic during President Trujillo’s dictatorship government. Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, nicknamed El Jefe, ruled the Dominican Republic for 31 years. He organized secret police mento torture, and murder people who stood against him. Trujillo directed all crucial industries, and financial organizations. He murdered roughly 10,000 Haitian people. He ruled the people in his own way. Many revolutionary people stood up against him, but they didn’t last long. All of this conflicts led the Mirabel sisters to joined

The martyr Minerva is a person with a family life as well as a personal life. According to Minerva’s sister Patria, “Minerva at twenty-nine [is] considered beyond all hope of marriage” (Alvarez 134). Minerva marries Manolo, a little late in her life