Transformation of Patria and Maria Teresa – Literary Analysis
In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez takes the reader through the lives of the Mirabal sisters as they are living in the Dominican Republic under the rule of Trujillo and leads up to the death of the three sisters, which, was ordered by Trujillo on November 25, 1960 (“In the Time of the Butterflies”). Trujillo was a dictator who controlled his country in every aspect and exterminated those who opposed him including three of the Mirabal sisters who are “symbols of both popular and feminist resistance” (Rohter). Over the course of the novel, Dede and Minerva transform in a variety of ways with societal and governmental changes; however, Patria and Maria Teresa transform …show more content…
As a child, and especially being the youngest, Mate was forced to listen to her family and follow their decisions however, as she matured and formed into her own person she can finally rely on herself and her own understanding. Minerva tries to sway her into going with her decision but when Mate speaks up and argues Minerva shows how “it was no longer so easy for me to talk that one into anything” (Alvarez 261). This is a huge turning point in Mate’s growth because she is finally independent. The reader can analyze how Mate is like other heroines who have busted out of their cocoons and formed into beautiful butterflies. This shows the reoccurring theme of butterflies symbolizing freedom and when Mate finally shows her dominance and independence in her life, this butterfly is set free from the sheltering of the cocoon of her family and Trujillo’s attempts at silencing her voice. Along with being independent, Mate and her sisters refuse to let themselves be given opportunities different than others, therefore, declining an advantage from prejudice. Mate states how while in jail the Mirabal family “couldn’t be free unless everyone else was offered the same opportunity” (Alvarez 236). Maria Teresa is a people person and the idea of being pardoned for a crime that other people have committed and being free due to favoritism is not a good one amongst the …show more content…
While Patria has high faith and remained true to it for most of the way, Mate sprung out of her shell and became an independent woman. These two sisters both demonstrated feminism in its highest forms especially in the Dominican Republic because “problems are most often viewed as pathological and characteristic of the individuals directly affected rather than the larger framework”
In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez takes the reader through the lives of the Mirabal sisters as they are living in the Dominican Republic under the rule of Trujillo and leads up to the death of the three sisters, which, was ordered by Trujillo on November 25, 1960 (“In the Time of the Butterflies”). Trujillo was a dictator who controlled his country in every aspect and exterminated those who opposed him including three of the Mirabal sisters who are “symbols of both popular and feminist resistance” (Rohter). Over the course of the novel, Dede and Minerva transform in a variety of ways with societal and governmental changes; however, Patria and Maria Teresa transform …show more content…
As a child, and especially being the youngest, Mate was forced to listen to her family and follow their decisions however, as she matured and formed into her own person she can finally rely on herself and her own understanding. Minerva tries to sway her into going with her decision but when Mate speaks up and argues Minerva shows how “it was no longer so easy for me to talk that one into anything” (Alvarez 261). This is a huge turning point in Mate’s growth because she is finally independent. The reader can analyze how Mate is like other heroines who have busted out of their cocoons and formed into beautiful butterflies. This shows the reoccurring theme of butterflies symbolizing freedom and when Mate finally shows her dominance and independence in her life, this butterfly is set free from the sheltering of the cocoon of her family and Trujillo’s attempts at silencing her voice. Along with being independent, Mate and her sisters refuse to let themselves be given opportunities different than others, therefore, declining an advantage from prejudice. Mate states how while in jail the Mirabal family “couldn’t be free unless everyone else was offered the same opportunity” (Alvarez 236). Maria Teresa is a people person and the idea of being pardoned for a crime that other people have committed and being free due to favoritism is not a good one amongst the …show more content…
While Patria has high faith and remained true to it for most of the way, Mate sprung out of her shell and became an independent woman. These two sisters both demonstrated feminism in its highest forms especially in the Dominican Republic because “problems are most often viewed as pathological and characteristic of the individuals directly affected rather than the larger framework”