San Rafael

“In the Time of the Butterflies” is a historical novel by Julia Alvarez, relating an account of the Mirabal sisters during the time of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Maria Teresa is the youngest of the four Mirabal sisters. She is very superficial and materialistic in the beginning of the story, but she becomes a resilient, strong-willed revolutionary hero. Further, Maria Teresa is willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of her family’s right for a liberal nation. Maria…

theme of identity crisis is forged by Díaz’s utilization of allusions to literature, and inclusion of Dominican Republic history. One element that aids in the creation of identity crisis in this novel is Díaz’s utilization of allusions to literature. Rafael Trujillo, a ruthless Dominican dictator, is a character in the novel who is identified thoroughly by allusions to literature, mainly from the genres science fiction and…

Julia Alvarez, a Hispanic American immigrant and a woman, remains a voice for those who have suffered the strife tied to these labels. From her award-winning novels to her passionate poetry, her words eloquently demonstrate a sort of empathetic understanding only available from an author who has experienced these difficulties. Julia Alvarez uses her poetic voice to explain, yet also escape, her multicultural world with a vocalized desire for freedom from oppression both in her home country and…

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…

Dominican Republican history was Rafael Trujillo. Rafael Trujillo was born on October 24, 1891 and first began his career on December 9, 1918 when he accepted training to become a National Guard officer ("Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina"). Due to his obedience, enthusiasm, and discipline, once Trujillo had finished training he was quickly promoted, becoming the chief officer(second in command) in 1924 and commander in chief in 1928 (Schoenhals, “Trujillo Molina, Rafael Leónidas (1891–1961)”).…

Martin Luther King Jr., a well-known symbol in the African-American Civil Rights movement once said,“life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?’” This quote relates to his efforts to make America a better place for not only him and his family but for everyone around him. His actions against authority are a symbol to everyone suffering from racism because he is willing to sacrifice himself for a greater good. Unlike Martin Luther King Jr. some people resist…

Plot-The protagonist, Amabelle Desir, describes how her shadow is one of her best friends and removes her from the loneliness and isolation of her life. She briefly describes her best friend Sebastien as well, stating that he truly comforts her. The story begins as Señora Valencia is giving birth and hence Papi, her father, calls Doctor Javier to help with the birth. However, he is too late so Amabelle helps Valencia give birth to her son and then a few minutes later, a daughter. The…

“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.…

behavior of violence in Dominican Republic. Literature in Dominican Republic was also affected by Trujillo in that the general theme and motif of masculinity and patriarchy became commonplace (Horn 59). Maja Horn wrote that literature had depicted Rafael Trujillo as an overly masculine figure, focusing on his sexual appetite, as seen in In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. While texts have been written in an effort to emasculate Trujillo, the opposite has been accomplished…

Boom! Goes many shots that killed Haitians within a blink of an eye. The Farming of Bones tells the story of Amabelle who was a servant to the family of Señora Valencia. Her life was infringed by the horrific events dictated by Dictator Trujillo in order to massacre many Haitians. Haitians were forced over the border into Haiti. Many people went peacefully over the border, but thousands of people died because of the Parsley Massacre. The book is effective with the descriptions of the Parsley…