Study Questions for Julia
Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies
How does Alvarez represent Dede
as a woman both confined and set free by her choices?
How do Mate and Patria participate
in the revolutionary movement?
What is the importance of writing
in the text (diaries, letters, notes, etc.)
How does Minerva change after prison?
How does Alvarez use fragments
to represent the death of the Mirabal sisters?
Why does say "was it for this"
that the sisters died?
Some other points to consider:
Keep the sisters straight (Patria,
Dede, Minerva, Mate)
Re-read the author's post-script
(this is fiction based on a true story)
Consider how the text contributes
to Caribbean Literature.