Masterpiece

This is the full movie of In the Time of the Butterflies. This...

This is the full movie of In the Time of the Butterflies. This movie is somewhat graphic and should not be watched by young children unless with and adult and there is also some fowl language.

Quote from "In the Time of the Butterflies"

Dede says sadly and absently to an interviewer ” I didn’t get involved until later” (Alvarez 172).

    Dede Mirabal is the surviving sister of the Mirabal sisters and she feels guilty that her sisters were murdered and she did nothing. The only reason that Dede survived is because she listened to her husband and did not follow her sisters into the revolution.

Quote from "In the Time of the Butterflies"

“Jaimito would never let her keep them. He was more than possessive with his sons, claiming them as if they were parts of himself. Look at how he had named them all with his first name as well as his last”(Alvarez 182).

     This is an example of how men have the power. Today men and women decide together their baby’s name but then the male would decide the name. Although women could offer ideas if the husband did not like it then that was not the child’s name.

Quote from "In the Time of the Butterflies"

“The priests had decided they could not wait forever for the pope and the archbishop to come around. The time was now, for the Lord had said, I come with the sword as well as the plow to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Alvarez 162).

      The church had decided to join the revolution. The people in the church organization for the revolution would talk to the cops and guards to try and persuade them that they were not doing God’s will and after they cross over they will not be received into heaven. 

Quote from "In the Time of the Butterflies"

“If I were to say tennis shoes, you’d know we were talking about ammunition. The pineapples for the picnic are the grenades” (Alvarez 142).

    These are a few code names that were used during the revolution. Most of the code names were taken from food or people of Trujillo’s family.

Quotes from "In the Time of the Butterflies"

“Since I am not bedding down with him, it is three more weeks before El Jefe can see us. As far as we can tell, Mama and I are under arrest since we aren’t allowed to leave the hotel” (Alvarez 112).

      This quote shows that for women to get help from the government which is one man, Trujillo, they have to give him what he wants whether is money or sex.

During the revolution people and events had code names and the...

During the revolution people and events had code names and the sisters name was butterfly. There are three butterflies in this photo because only three of the sister were murdered, Minerva, Mate, Patria, and one lived to tell the tale, Dede.

This is a picture of the four Mirabal sisters. In the pink is...

This is a picture of the four Mirabal sisters. In the pink is Minerva, in the red is Mate, in the brown is Dede, and in the black is Patria.

Julia Alvarez: Una biografía breve Julia Álvareznació27 de marzo...

Julia Alvarez: Una biografía breve

Julia Álvareznació27 de marzo de 1950 en Unidos de América y es un autor de mucholibros de ficción. Ella escribió "In the Time of the Butterflies" y el libro fue cerca de un dictadura en República Dominicana. Padre de Álvarez fue en el revolución contra Trujillo durante él vivo. Ella vivió en República Dominicana durante el revolución y la dictadura fue el inspiracion de"In the Time of the Butterflies". Alvarez y su familia volvieron a Estados Unidos de América en 1960. Tres meses después Álvarez se movió, la hermana de Mirabal murieron y Álvarez empezó ella carera. Pasado de Álvarez fue que escribió mucho bueno libros y mucho para ocultó verdades.

Danielle Mayne May 13, 2013 Masterpiece Essay In 1994 a novel...

Danielle Mayne

May 13, 2013

Masterpiece Essay

In 1994 a novel was published in honor of four sisters and the death of thousands during the Trujillo dictatorship." In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez is a masterpiece because it follows the criteria of Kenneth Clark and has religious connections. Julia Alvarez's novel moves the reader to feel pride, love, and sadness. The great themes are a dictatorship, patriarchy society, and time of great betryals. The human values portrayed are government, family and religion. The emotions of the Mirabal sisters are tested in many ways.

"In the Time of the Butterflies" is a novel that moves the reader to feel pride, love, and sadness. A critic named Kirkus writes " Minerva Mirabal- the sharpest and boldest of the daughters, born with a fierce will to fight injustice" (Kirkus). In a time of patriarchy a young woman rose above the society. Minerva Mirabal stood up and did what the men wouldn't do. Minerva , a woman, started a revolution and brought justice to thousands as well as pride to all the women in the world. The pride and love of the Mirabal sisters are two major contributions to their bravery and success. Patria Mirabal Screams " Get down son! Get down! His eyes found mine just as the shot hit him square in the back. I saw the wonder on his young face as the life drained out of him, and I thought, Oh my God, he's one of mine" (Alvarez 162). Patria shows how the love of a mother is stronger than the worries of her own life. She sees a boy the same age as her son shot in the back dead at her feet and is transformed forever. This young woman feels as if she just lost one of her own when she sees the true nature of her own people and the revolution. Any woman or mother could not even imagine what it would be like to watch their young or someone resembling their young taking his fearfull last breath. The love of Patria and her sisters was strengthened through the brutal times up till the day they were murdered. Dede Mirabal, the only surviving sister, recalls seeing " the marks on Minerva's throught: finger prints sure as day on Mate's pale neck. They also clubbed them" (Alvarez 303). These young women loved each other and their families so much they died for their future. Most people looked the other way, but the Mirabal sisters wanted a change, a revolution. Three young women were murdered for their passion and love of a better future. The sadness invoked by thier tragic and unjust deaths is the most heart renching event that could have happened to the Mirabal familyand the society. The girls death was a major turning point for how the government and society was run.

The major themes in this novel are a dictatorship, patriarchy society, and a time of great betrayals. Kirkus states about the dictatorship " their bravery and determinationd mold into a seemingly insurmountable force, making Trujillo, for all his power, appear a puny adversary" (Kirkus). Also stated by Kirkus was " parents try desperatly to cling to their imagined island of security in a swelling sea of fear and intimidation" (Kirkus). Kirkus touches on the power Trujillo had and how people feared him. People were unable to live a happy life without fear of one man taking everything away. Trujillo saw himself as a God until a group of young women knocked him off his pedistule. Although the people were teated injustly the women were also belittled in this patriarchal society. Dede Mirabal says " She had to talk to Jaimito. As she expected, his answer was an adamant no. But beyond what she expected, he was furious with her for even considering such a request. The Mirabal sisters like to run their men, that was the problem. In his house, he was the one to wear the pants" (Alvarez 176). Dede proves how Jaimito, her husband, has the power over the property and her. Women such as Dede and others did not have much of a choice unless her husband or father agrees. Jaimito is equivalent to a parent because for his wife to do anything she must ask him first and get his approval. Most wives listened to their husbands, but some went behind their backs like many men and women did for the government. A female political prisoner says " I was about to float off in a haze of brightness when Joe cried out, I'll do it! Next thing I knew Joe was calling out my name and shouting, tell them I had to do it" (Alvarez 256). Men and women gave information to the government to save their lives as well as for profit. The prisoners were forced to give information for their lives while others were willing and paid. Many people lost their belongings and loved ones because of spies or people being tortured. The desire of money blinded people to value the wrong things.

The human values of government, family, and religion are tested through out the novel. Bowden

a critic says "the book is a work of fiction based on the true story of the Mirabal sister who in 1960 were murdered for their participation in an underground movement to overthrow the Trujillo regime" (Bowden). The government was an unjust dictatorship. Trujillo ruled over the people and made them fear him so he would have all the power. Thousands tried to stop Trujillo and create a more just and fair government, but were slaughtered at Trujillo's command. The people never gave up and continued the work of the decised to make their deaths worth something more. Even though Trujillo was feared by many family brought people together and made them stronger. Patria says " Hear my cry, Jefe. Release my sisters and their husbands and mine. But most especially, I beg you, Oh Jefe, give me back my son. Take me instead, I'll be your sacrificial lamb" (Avarez 203). Patria values her loved ones so much she is willing to give herself for them. Patria puts her life on the line to help her sisters, husband, and son get out of jail. Dede also takes care of her family by taking care of all the kids and distressed family members while the others are incarcerated. These women among others went through a lot of pain and grief in their lives but still managed to keep their spirits up. Mate Mirabal writes in her diary " whenever someone was taken for a "visit" to La 40 or got seperate and began shouting or crying we'd all start singing " O Lord, my sturdy palm when cyclone winds are blowing" (Alvarez 237). All the prisoners have either turned to God or have a stronger faith in God. Even in their time of struggle and loss these men and women never let their spirits be deferred. They all embrace their misfortune and turn to God for strenth. Although "In the Time of the Butterflies" seems like a grusome novel but there are many religous aspects behing it.

This novel by Julia Alvarez is a masterpiece and illistrates important Catholic beliefs about art and society. Pope John Paul III says " Beauty is a key to the mystery and a call to the transcendence. It is an invention to savor life and to dream of the future. That is why the beauty of created things can never saticfy. It stirs that hidden nostalgia for God" (Part 16). This quote relates to the Mirabal sisters because they were looking to better their futures. The dictatorship did not satisfy people so they looked to create a new and improved government. These girls not only had faith in each other, but also in God to guide and protect them. In addition the lack of beauty plays a part in the despair of the sisters and the people. Pope Paul VI says " This world needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. It is beauty like truth which brings joy to the heart of man and is that precious fruit which resists the wear and tear of time, which unites generations and makes them share things in admiration" (Catholic Social Teachings). Many people during the dictatorship lost their faith until the young Mirabal girls bring hope back into the society. Men and women of all ages are uniting for a better future. The beauty of a brighter future is what ignites the flame of everyone's salvation. The Mirabal sisters bring hope and light into the society in many ways and helped to make the leap for a better life possible.

Julia Alvarez wrote a masterpiece called " In the Time of the Butterflies" that follows the Kenneth Clark criteria and has religous connections. This novel makes the reader feel emotions such as pride, love, and sadness. The great and interesting themes of a dictatorship, patriarchal society, and betrayal are portraied. The human values of government, family, and religion are put to the test when Trujillo tries to break the sisters of these values. Thousands died for a cause that millions ignored with the exception of four young, brave, and strong women who were told to give up, but continued to push forward and ended the Trujillo regime with the deaths of three of the four sisters.

Works Cited

Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 1994. Print.

Bowden. "News." Chicagoist: Chicago News, Food, Arts & Events. Chicagoist, 3 Sept. 2004. Web. 12 May 2013.

Kirkus. "Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction | Kirkus Reviews." Kirkus Reviews. Algonquin, 1 July 1994. Web. 12 May 2013.

"Themes of Catholic Social Teaching." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. USCCB, 2005. Web. 12 May 2011.