In the Time of the Butterflies

Julia Alvarez

Mr. Wakefield & Mr. GlennMaple Heights High School

March & April, 2013

Why do we tell stories?

How do author’s choices create meaning?

Name ______________________________Block______

Table of Contents

Vocabulary Words (RL.9 – 10.4)………………………………………………………………………3

TIME Magazine Article (RL.9 – 10.3)………………………………………………………………4 - 5

Character List………………………………………………………………………………………6 - 7

Spanish/ English Vocabulary Reference Sheet………………………………………………………8

Response Papers…………………………………………………………………………………9 - 10

Reading Comprehension Questions (RL.9 – 10.10)………………………………………………11 - 23

Fourteenth of June Movement……………………………………………………………………….24

Vocabulary Words

dissenterdeificationdespotismmariposas

pilgrimagegaudybenefactorcrucifix

agitatorsdesecratemulattomunitions

Epiphanystuporromanticizediminutive

ominousimminentsuccumbplacating

indignantconfidedadmonitionimperious

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Warning Beneath the CliffTime Magazine

Monday, Dec. 12, 1960

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Tragic coincidences are not uncommon in Dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo's Dominican Republic.

Last week Trujillo's mouthpiece, El Cáribe, reported another: the curious case of three wellborn sisters

noted for their opposition to the Dictator. They were found dead near the wreckage of a Jeep at the

bottom of a 150-ft. cliff on the north coast of the tight little island. Said El Cáribe: "The accident in

which Driver Rufino Cruz and the sisters Patria Mirabal de Gonzáles, Minerva Mirabal de Tavárez and

Maria Teresa Mirabal de Guzman died is presumed to have happened when Cruz lost control of the

vehicle."

There was much to the story of the three Mirabal sisters that El Cáribe did not tell. The story began

with Minerva, 32, who reportedly caught the Dictator's eye some years ago when she was a pretty

university student. When Trujillo tried to exercise his Dominican version of droit du seigneur,

Minerva's response was a stinging slap on the face. Shortly thereafter, both Minerva and her middle-

aged father were jailed, Minerva briefly, her father for two years before he was released —to die 15

days later of a combination of malnutrition, beatings and general misuse. The sisters all married anti-

Trujillo husbands—a lawyer, an engineer, a farmer. In 1957 the three couples began organizing an

underground opposition to the Dictator among the Dominican Republic's middle and professional

classes; after the failure of a Cuba-based airborne invasion in 1959, the underground movement took

as its name the date of the failure—the 14th of June. Last January, as the 14th of June gathered

strength to strike at Trujillo, the Dictator got word of the plot and cracked down.

In the trials that followed, two of the husbands got 20 years, the other 30. To

forestall plotting, the men were sent to widely separated prisons. Two of the sisters themselves were

imprisoned briefly, then allowed to return to their family home near Salcedo, 70 miles northwest of

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Ciudad Trujillo. Two months ago, without explanation, all three husbands were moved to a prison near

Salcedo. There, after a tantalizing delay, the wives were granted permission to make a joint visit a

fortnight ago. The sisters' cars had been confiscated; gratefully they accepted a stranger's offer to ride

to the prison in his Jeep. On the way back, for reasons unexplained, the Jeep driver left the main

highway for an unnecessary—and fatal—jounce along a desolate, cliff-edged road.

There was, of course, no hint of foul play in the reports from Trujilloland. But the terrible deaths of the

three sisters and their driver—who presumably was considered expendable—would be something for

the 14th of June underground to think about.

Non-Fiction Reading

1. Annotate this article.

2. What would you call the writer’s tone or attitude? Explain your answer.

3. The main idea is never stated--only implied. What would you say it was?

4. Reread the article and pick out five people or groups you think will be important in In the

Time of the Butterflies.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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CHARACTER LIST

LAS MARIPOSAS (from NEA Big Read)Minerva Mirabal

Independent, outspoken Minerva is determined to get an education but, even after finishing

law school, is prohibited by Trujillo from practicing. She is the first to join the revolution- la

primera mariposa, the first Butterfly. Her husband Manolo is also a leader in the

underground.

"They marveled at my self-control-and so did I. But by now in my life I should have

known. Adversity was like a key in the lock for me."

María Teresa (Mate) Mirabal

María Teresa, young and naïve, communicates primarily through journal entries. She

becomes aware of the underground after she questions Minerva about both the strange,

coded language she uses and a crate of guns that is delivered to the house. She marries

Leandro and both join the resistance.

"I've lost all interest in my studies. I just go to classes in order to keep my cover as a

second-year architecture student. My true identity now is Mariposa (#2), waiting daily,

hourly, for communications from up north."

Patria Mirabal

The eldest sister, Patria, toys with the idea of becoming a nun before falling in love at

sixteen with Pedrito González, a handsome young farmer. She becomes involved with the

underground after witnessing a battle in the mountains between government forces and

anti-Trujillo rebels on the fourteenth of June, 1959.

"Coming down that mountain, I was a changed woman. I may have worn the same

sweet face, but now I was carrying not just my child but that dead boy as well."

Dedé Mirabal

In the novel's opening chapter, Dedé's father foretells her future, saying, "She'll bury us all

[. . .] in silk and pearls." Until after her sisters' deaths, Dedé obeys her husband Jaimito's

orders not to get involved in the revolution.

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"I see them all there in my memory, as still as statues, Mamá and Papá, and Minerva

and Mate and Patria, and I'm thinking something is missing now. And I count them all

twice before I realize-it's me, Dedé, it's me, the one who survived to tell the story."

OTHER IMPORTANT CHARACTERSAdd information or new characters as we read.

Mamá: Mother to the Mirabal girls.

Papá: Father to the Mirabal girls.

Fela: A worker for the Mirabal family who claims to be a fortune teller.

Minou: One of Minerva's children

Trujillo: Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, also known as "El Jefe" (the Chief), is the self-appointed

dictator of the Dominican Republic.

Don Manuel: Trujillo's right-hand man..

Virgilio: Virgilio, code name "Lio". He is a revolutionary. He was involved with one of the

sisters.

Jaimito: Jaimito is Dede's husband and cousin.

Leandro--Maria Teresa’s husband, (a.k.a “Leandro”)

Manolo: a revolutionary who is Minerva’s husband.

Sinita: Minerva's good friend, whom she met at Inmaculada Catholic School for Girls.

Pedrito González: A farmer. He married Patria Mirabal when she was 22, on February 24, 1947

Reference Sheet8

Spanish Terms with English translation

Spanish Term English TranslationGringa dominicana Dominican with light (whiter) complexionMaria santisima Virgin MaryExactamente ExactlyAnacchuita tree Olive treeCampesinos peasantsTan afuera de la cosa Out of touchGringos Foreigners, Usually AmericansGalleria GalleryAy Dios/ Dios mio Oh GodPobrecita Poor little thingMi napita My little extra oneSenorita MissEl cuco The BoogiemanPromesa promiseSarampion An infection Guardia guardPeseta Type of currency? Brujo witchQuinceanera 15th birthday/ similar to Sweet SixteenUn clavo saca Under control

Otro clavo UN CLAVO SACA OTRO CLAVO: something or someone else to take away the pain… it’s an expression

novio boyfriend

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Response Paper Prompts

Throughout the course of reading In the Time of the Butterflies, you will write six response essays. Each week you have the choice to write a critical response paper or a creative response paper. You must write three critical responses and three creative responses; so plan accordingly. Each essay should be one to two pages in length.

Critical Responses: Your critical responses must have properly cited evidence from the novel. Your evidence should focus on the most recent chapters that we have read, but you may incorporate other parts of the novel, if necessary.

Creative Responses: Your creative responses must be meaningful and follow all of the steps required, but do not necessarily need direct quotation.

Response One (RL.9 – 10.2) (W.9 – 10.4) (W.9 – 10.5)

Critical: Symbolism & MetaphorIdentify a theme from the first two chapters of the novel and then explain how Alvarez uses symbolism or metaphor to develop that theme. Possible choices include: tree symbolism in chapter 1, rabbit metaphor in chapter 2, hammer and nail metaphor in chapter 2Creative: Historical Fiction Part I: Find a news article about something you find interesting.Part II: Drawing on your understanding of historical fiction, use the article as a starting point for a short story in which you develop characters and a conflict.

Response Two (RL.9 – 10.2) (W.9 – 10.4) (W.9 – 10.5)Due March 22Critical: Perspective Identify a theme from the novel and explain how Alvarez uses unique character voices and perspective to develop that theme. Creative: Changing PerspectivePart I: Think about a meaningful experience in your life. In one paragraph, describe that experience from a first person perspective. Part II: In one paragraph, describe that same experience from a third-person perspective. Part III: Write a brief reflection about the story changes when the perspective changes.

Response Three (RL.9 – 10.3) (W.9 – 10.4) (W.9 – 10.5)Due March 28Critical: Gender RolesHow does Alvarez use Minerva and Dedé to develop to draw attention to gender roles in the novel?Creative: Found Poem Write a 15-20 line found poem about or from the perspective of one of the Mirabel sisters.

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o You may only use words from the novelo Needs to have a titleo Poem must reflect the voice of the character

Write a one-paragraph reflection about the choices you made in constructing your poem and why you think it accurately reflects the character.

Response Four (RL.9 – 10.2) (W.9 – 10.4) (W.9 – 10.5)Due April 12Critical: Imagery How does Alvarez use contrasting imagery to develop a theme in the novel?Creative: Museum Artifacts Part I: Pick two objects from the novel that you think could be artifacts in the museum that Dedé runs dedicated to her sisters’ memory.Part II: For each object, explain how it is important in the context of the novel and how it contributes to the reader’s understanding of the sisters or the significance of their sacrifice. DO NOT simply explain what the object is.

Response Five (W.9 – 10.4) (W.9 – 10.5) (W.9 – 10.3) (W.3.a) (W.3.b) (W.3.c) (W.3.d) (W.3.e)Due April 19Critical: Motif Identify a specific motif in the novel and analyze how Alvarez uses this motif to develop a theme. Creative: Missing NarrativeFrom the perspective of any character in the novel, write a missing narrative from the time that Minerva and Mate are in prison. In this narrative, employ references to a meaningful motif from the text.

Response Six (RL.9 – 10.2) (W.9 – 10.4) (W.9 – 10.5)Due April 26Critical: Archetype How does Alvarez use archetype to develop a theme?Creative: News Article Write news article that frames the story of the Mirabal sisters as either archetypal martyrs or archetypal heroes.

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Reading Comprehension QuestionsDirections: As you read, use these questions as a guide. You will not receive credit for answering these questions, but you will be quizzed on your reading. Having these questions in front of you while you read will help you focus on important aspects of the story.

CHAPTER ONE: DEDÉ, 1994 AND CIRCA 1943

1. Who is coming to visit? What does Dedé think of her?

2. What happens every November 25th?

3. How does Dedé describe each of the sisters? Minerva

Maria Teresa

Patria

4. At night, Dede thinks about Trujillo and the police state. Describe the images in her mind.

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CHAPTER TWO, MINERVA, 1938, 1941, 1944

1. Why does Papá allow the girls to go away to school?

2. What is Sinita’a secret? Describe the secret in your own words.

3. What happened to Lina? Describe the courtship with Trujillo.

4. Describe Trujillo’s visit to the school and the girls’ performance.

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CHAPTER THREE: MARIA TERESA, 1945 TO 1946

1. How does the epistolary format (diary style) affect your view of María Teresa?

2. Why does Minerva say diaries are important?

3. Who is Hilda, and how is she connected to Minerva? Why is the connection between these two girls important?

4. Why does Mate have to hand over her diary? What could this demise of the little book symbolize to the reader?

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CHAPTER FOUR: PATRIA, 1946

1. What did Patria and her family assume she would become? Why?

2. What causes Patria to abandon her aspirations of becoming a nun?

3. How does Pedrito describe himself? Look at page 50.

4. Why was Patria worried about Minerva?

5. On page 53 Patria says she understands Minerva's hatred for Trujillo. Explain.

6. What religious imagery do you notice in the chapter? How does it add to your understanding of Patria’s character?

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CHAPTER FIVE: DEDE, 1994 and 1948

1. Fela is one of the family servants. What is her role in preserving the memory of the sisters.

2. Who is Minou?

3. Who is Jaimito? What is planned for him?

4. Explain what happened on the night Lio went into hiding. What does this indicate about the political climate in the Dominican Republic?

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CHAPTER SIX: MINERVA, 1949

1. What does Minerva learn about her father?

2. What does she find in Papa’s room and how does she react?

3. Why does the family go to the Discovery Day Dance? What happens while they are there?

4. When Papá goes to jail, what does he ask Minerva to do?

5. How did Papa change in jail? What causes this change?

6. How could the loaded dice a symbol for the regime?

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CHAPTER SEVEN: MARIA TERESA 1953-1958

1. Describe Mate’s dream after Papá dies.

2. What does Mate spend most of her time writing about?

3. Minerva gets her law degree on July 27th. Why is she disappointed?

4. Why does Mate to join the National Underground?

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CHAPTER 8, PATRIA, 1959

1. What happens in Cuba? What does this have to do with the Dominican Republic?

2. What happens on Patria’s retreat?

3. Why is it important that Patria names her son Raul Ernesto?

4. What is the SIM?

5. Why does Minerva ask Patria to keep Manolito?

6. What does Patria and Pedrito’s house eventually become?

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CHAPTER 9: DEDE, 1994 AND 1960

1. How do the differences in their marriages effect the sisters’ involvement in the revolution?

2. Why is Fidel’s speech played endlessly on the radio?

3. What does Dedé mean when she thinks “The problem is when I open my eyes and see for myself”?

4. Explain how the SIM arrested the following people

o Leandro

o Pedrito and Nelson

o Manolo

o Mate

o Minerva

5. Does Dede really have a choice in joining the underground?

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CHAPTER 10, PATRIA, JANUARY TO MARCH 1960

1.Who is Peña?

2. How does the Church respond to national events?

3. Patria says, “Once the goat was a bad memory in our past, that would be the real revolution we would have to fight: forgiving each other for what we had all let come to pass.” What does she mean?

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CHAPTER 11, MARIA TERESA MARCH TO AUGUST 1960

1. From where is Maria Teresa writing?

2. Why do Maria Teresa and Minerva not accept a pardon?

3. Why is it important to tell the OAS (The Organization of American States) what really happens?

4. What happens when they take Mate to “La 40”?

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CHAPTER 12: MINERVA AUGUST TO NOVEMBER 1960

1. How did Minerva change after she gets out of jail?

2. Explain how Minerva feels when Elsa says “Viva la Mariposa.”

3. What is the significance of moving the men to a new location?

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EPILOGUE, DEDE 1994

1. What happens on the mountain pass?

2. What tone does Dedé use when recalling the trial and its aftermath?

3. What title does Dedé give herself about the retelling of her sisters’ story? Why?

4. Describe what happens to the following people after the sisters’ death:

1. Jaimito

2. Manolo

3. Pedrito

4. Leandro

5. Mamá.

The Fourteenth of June Movement and November 25th

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On Sunday, June 14, 1959, members of theDominican Liberation Movement with theassistance of Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castrostaged an invasion of the Dominican Republicand attempted to overthrow the dictatorship ofRafael Leónidas Trujillo. The revolutionaries were divided into three groups; the first arrive near Constanza in the mountains of Cordillero Central by transport plane, while two others attacked from ships stationed offshore. The mission was shortlived, however. Trujillo’s spies learned of the attackand the dictator’s armed forces thwarted the plot.

In Chapter Eight of In the Time of the Butterflies,Patria travels with Padre de Jesús and a group of women for a spiritual retreat in Constanza, a place she describes as “purple mountains reaching toward angel feather clouds; a falcon soaring in a calm blue sky, God combing His sunshine fingers through green pastures straight out of the Psalms”(p. 160). On the fourth day of her trip, gunfireand shelling break the sanctity of the place. Patria is changed when she watches a young boy die from gunshot wounds.

Though the invasion by the Dominican Liberation Movement failed, it inspired others to organize their efforts against the dictator. The underground effort founded by the Mirabal sisters and their husbands takes its name from this brave attempt of exiled Dominicans to restore democracy to their country. The Fourteenth of June Movement, sometimescalled J14, soon had hundreds of members.

Trujillo had evidence of the underground effortsto overthrow his regime and imprisoned theMirabal sisters, their husbands, and dozens of other members of the Fourteenth of June Movement. The arrests were condemned by the Catholic Church, which had initially been

reluctant to speak out against the dictator. As the resistance gained strength, the dictator declared that he had only two problems: the Catholic Church and the Mirabal sisters. In November 1960, he ordered the murders of Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa.

The date of the Mirabal sisters’ deaths became recognized throughout Latin America as a day to end violence against women. In December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.The United Nations website (http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/news/vawd.html) explains:

The sisters … have become a symbol against victimization of women. They have become the symbol of both popular and feminist resistance. They have been commemorated in poems, songs and books. Their execution inspired a fictional account In the Time of the Butterflies on the young lives of the sisters written by Julia Alvarez. It describes their suffering and martyrdom in the last days of the Trujillo dictatorship. The memory of the Mirabal sisters and their struggle for freedom and respect for human rights for all has transformed them into symbols of dignity and inspiration. They are symbols against prejudice and stereotypes, and their lives raised the spirits of all those they encountered and later, after their death, not only those in the Dominican Republic but others around the world.

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