Diction In The Time Of The Butterflies

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It is estimated that about 20,000 Haitians were killed during the reign of Rafael Trujillo, an evil dictator, over the Dominican Republic. Among the 20,000, three sisters were killed in their attempts to hinder Trujillo’s power, dying as martyrs for their cause. In the Time of the Butterflies, a novel written by Julia Alvarez, the effect of Trujillo’s regime on each of the Mirabal sisters. The terror and fear he caused had a distinct effect on each of the sisters, creating individual tones for each of them in their respective chapters. Alvarez makes this connection come to life in her novel because of her writing style. The style of an author is the distinct way they choose words or the order in which they use them along with punctuation. Understanding …show more content…
Patria’s elevated level diction helps establish her poetic tone throughout her designated chapters in the novel. When looking at herself in a mirror, Patria describers her reaction to her own image as “astonished” by her looks (45). Her use of this word to describe her reaction to her own image reflects the elegancy of not only her words but in a way depicts her beauty in the mirror. This beauty in her word choice, rather than saying she was “surprised” is what helps develop the poeticness in her tone because of how beautiful her words are and how they flow together, revealing also Patria’s maturity and grace as the oldest of the sisters. Later, when describing the children of the family throwing fits, she calls Jacqueline “empathetic” when it comes to why she cries (205). This is poetic in tone because her high diction puts this bad behavior into an innocent lighting, making it sound less awful than what it actually is. This creates sophistication in Patria’s words because it shows her efforts to see the good in people and in situations, which is a quality that somebody who is very mature would

In the Time of the Butterflies Essay

The “Revered” Dictator “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” (Andre Gide) In the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, written by Julia Alvarez, four sisters are led through a risk infested journey in which they must overcome hindrances with hollow consequences. This historical fiction novel takes us through a rollercoaster of events, incorporating everything from the partialities towards women, to life below the oppressive administration of the…

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brit lit sample 3 Essay

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brit lit sample 3 Essays

(self-reflective essay) Romanticism is the belief that exists within an individual in the power of nature and how that belief can transform one’s perception one’s existence. My definition of romanticism is demonstrated throughout the tale of “Bobbie and the Butterfly.” Nature is a prominent theme within Bobbie’s existence. Nature is portrayed as the catalyst that transforms Bobbie’s inner beauty and enables Bobbie to relate to his surroundings. Nature is society’s teacher and the guide to all our innocence…

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