Hermanas Mirabal

The most common theme in the book is the ongoing struggle of the Butterflies against the government. When the flashback first begins, this particular theme is surfaced during a conversation between the Mirabal family, discussing the idea of Minevra becoming a lawyer. In effect their mother exclaimed jokingly, “Just what we need, skirts in the law!” (Alvarez 10) Minerva insisted that the claim was true, insisting that that, “It’s about time we women had a voice in running our country.” (Alvarez…

In the book, Alvarez tells her depiction of the story of each sister. The Mirabal sisters lived during the time that Rafael Trujillo was in power and became part of the resistance against him, eventually costing their lives. There were four sisters, three of whom were murdered by Rafael Trujillo. Patricia is the oldest sister.…

“Chucha shakes me awake. Sunlight is streaming in through the jalousie windows. Before I can ask her what’s the matter, gangster men in their dark glasses storm into the room, thrusting their guns here and there in the corners of the closet and under my bed, in search of something they can not find. Chucha and I clutch each other and watch the men pulling open drawers, throwing my clothes into the floor. Soon another bunch of men come into the room, pushing Mami in her nightgown before them.…

The Fire of Revolution A desire for change gives fire to the spirit of revolution, yet few dare to chase it. One such person is Martin Luther King, Jr. who fought for racial equality. The fire that burned inside him was, in his childhood, just a flicker lit by watching his father protest segregation. Then, it was fanned by his own treatment in the South and he started the bus boycott. As a result, Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested and his house bombed; however, each incident simply motivated…

The time period of Trujillo’s control made people feel like they were locked in a cage with no way out. The only way out through many people was religion. The problem was that religion and politics were very much connected. It is a recurring theme in this novel, In the Time of the Butterflies By Julia Alvarez. The connection of religion and politics was seen throughout this novel, allowing the reader to understand the perspective of the character that showed this thematic thread. The recurring…