Jorge Rafael Videla

The story, In the Time of the Butterflies, commenced in 1994, with Dede, the only surviving Mirabal sister, being interviewed in 1994. She was explaining to the interviewer and to the readers about her other three sisters’ unfortunate death. This unfolds a series of flashbacks that are explained throughout the book. In the derivation, the reader encounters the Butterflies, the nicknames given to the revolutionist Mirabal sisters, Minevra, Patria, and Maria Teresa (better known as Mate.) Their…

In Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies four sisters join an underground resistance group against the cruel dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo. The plight faced by all Dominicans at the time was a disgrace to human rights. Many lived in poverty due to the dictatorship that controlled the country. Those who spoke out against the totalitarian regime disappeared and were usually never seen again. It was very brave for anyone to stand up to the government for what was…

In Barbara Neely’s and Julia Alvarez’s short story narratives of Spilled Salt and Reading to Mr. Torres, they are comparatively filled with similar themes that connect the stories in very reflective and uncanny ways. Both of these stories contain the theme of forgiveness, a theme that’s apparent in both main characters in how they deal with it. These narratives are also heavily immersed in themes of trying to deal with the past in different ways. They both deal with atrocious crimes committed by…

Oscar was during his younger years, citing Beli as his source at the beginning of the novel; “You should have seen him, his mother sighed in her Last Days. He was our little Porfirio Rubirosa [A model married to dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina’s…

Throughout the last several decades, sea level rise has become an issue that is affecting many areas around the world. According to National Geographic (n.d.), “Scientific research indicates sea levels worldwide have been rising at a rate of 0.14 inches per year since the early 1990s. The trend, linked to global warming, puts thousands of coastal cities… and even whole islands at risk of being claimed by the ocean”. The three main factors that have been causing this global sea level rise are the…

Literary elements are the salt of literature. When used correctly, they bring out the flavor of a story, but when misused, they ruin the original creation. In This Boy’s Life: A Memoir, by Tobias Wolff, and In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, literary elements are used to create delicious stories. This Boy’s Life: A Memoir chronicles the author’s childhood and adolescence in Seattle during the 1950s, which includes a broken home, lying, stealing, and cheating. In the Time of…

Born and raised in New York City, it is easy to say that it is common for one to go to a Dominican hair salons located throughout uptown Manhattan. Growing up I have always gotten my hair done by Dominican women, and getting my hair cut involved constant compliments of having “pelo muy bueno” and other women trying to convince me to not cut it. But what made my hair so special to be held in a high throne for it to be too good to cut, why did these women not appreciate their own hair as much? The…

Haitians, the timeline of how Trujillo got to be the dictator of the Dominican Republic, etc. As I researched then continued to read the novel, it amazed me how well Alvarez told the story while adding and creating these characters. I researched how Rafael Trujillo manipulated his way up to becoming the dictator and instead of having a narrator explain this part of history, a character named Sinita told Minerva as a secret that Trujillo was a bad man. As I researched I also found out that if…

The Mirabals; Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, were the butterflies of the rebellion against Trujillo. They helped start the Fourteenth of July Movement against the regime. For many Dominicans, they were their hope of restoring the country from corruption and injustice. They were a symbol for courage, as they freed themselves from the shackles of El Jefe and stood up to him. They did not settle for oppression. Just like butterflies, they spread their wings, showing off their beautiful colors,…

Social change often happens as a result of individuals or the society taking steps against someone or something they don’t accept. Social change is always happening around the world in many countries as they fight for their rights. An example of social change can be a group of people joining forces to remove themselves from a dictator’s rule. In In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the Mirabal sisters join together to change the society and to liberate themselves from the tyrant,…