Rafael Correa

Imagery is a technique frequently used by authors in order to promote the theme(s) that they are attempting to convey to the reader through their work. It is the use of figurative language to represent objects, and communicate ideas to the reader so that they may mentally visualize them, and understand themes in the work of literature. Generally speaking in literature, the reader may only recognize or relate to a few of the themes that the author is portraying through contrasting imagery, but to…

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…

In the Time of the Butterflies In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is the story of the Mirabal family during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The story is told through the perspectives of the 4 sisters, Patria, Dede, Minerva and Maria Teresa as the family is slowly torn apart by the Military Intelligence Service. Minerva was the first of the sisters to become involved in the underground movement against the government. She made friends at Inmaculada whose family had been…

woman who dedicated her life to terminating and rebirthing the government system of her home country, the Dominican Republic. Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies revolves around the dictatorship of the Dominican Republic—the dictator being Rafael Trujillo, also known as El Jefe—and the four Mirabel sisters, named Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Dede. These sisters are what started…

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…

Each of the Mirabal sisters are very courageous, even though some are more outspoken than others. Patria develops her courage out of necessity when she witnesses the horror of Trujillo’s regime. Minerva is the most outwardly courageous of the four sisters and her bravery comes more naturally. Dedé is the most reserved of them all, however she still finds ways to display her bravery and help her sisters. Maria Teresa looks up to Minerva and models her courage after Minerva’s, but she still…

In 1930, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina gained control of the Dominican Republic through questionable means, becoming head of police and then president, his regime was well recognized for its oppressive tactics and effective means of keeping the population controlled, by the time he was deposed and assassinated in 1961, he had been responsible for the deaths of as many as 50,000 Dominicans (U.S DoS), meaning that 1 in 66 was executed. As his time as president continued, more opposition grew,…

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…