In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay

Words: 1037
Pages: 5

In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez is a book set in the Dominican Republic from 1935-1960 and flashes to 1994 from time to time. It features the points of view of the four Mirabal sisters, who were all very active in the underground resistance force at this time. After being born in New York City, Alvarez lived in the reign of Trujillo in the DR for ten years, and then moved back to New York, where she learned of her relation to the famous Mirabal sisters. The combination of her experience in the country and her family ties compelled her to write this story, and it helped accomplish another goal of hers, which was to bring awareness to her family story. Throughout the book, Alvarez uses the Mirabal family's interactions with each other to show that the sisters’ family upbringing inhibits them from performing their …show more content…
Jaimito is very provincial, and expects Dede to follow suit with his beliefs, which are opposite the beliefs of the rest of the Mirabal sisters. They are trying to convince Dede to join the resistance, and Dede shows Jaimitos dominance by saying, “What if I can’t?’ Dede’s voice shook. “Jaimito thinks it’s suicide. He’s told me he’ll have to leave me if I get mixed up in this thing.’ There, she’d said it. Dede felt a hot flush of shame on her face. She was hiding behind her husband’s fears” (Alvarez, 179-180). The use of the word “suicide” has an extremely significant meaning, as it implies more than the dangers of being in the resistance. It refers to the life and death of their marriage, and her pre-conceived thought that she must adhere to Jaimito’s wishes in the marriage, due to her narrow self-awareness. Dede’s narrow self-awareness came from how she was raised, and from that a major life decision was made for her as she continued to go along with the stereotypical housewife