IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES

By Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez American writer and poet

Born on March 27, 1950, in New York City. Raised in the Dominican Republic, but had to leave the country

when she was ten years old. Her family supported an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow

dictator Rafael Trujillo. Graduated from Middlebury College in 1971 Earned a master's degree from Syracuse University in 1975

The theme of being caught between two cultures can be found throughout Alvarez's work in her poetry as well as her fiction.

Julia Alvarez Novel 1 - How the García Girls Lost Their

Accents (1991) – critical and commercial success

Novel 2 - In the Time of Butterflies (1994) Several more works of fiction have followed. One of her most recent novels is Saving the

World (2006). Children’s Books - The Secret Footprints

(2000) and Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay (2001) A novel for young adults - Before We Were

Free (2002). Essays and poetry. Her latest volume of poetry,

The Woman I Kept to Myself, was published in 2004.

Married to Bill Eichner since 1989 Lives in Vermont and serves as a writer-in-

residence at Middlebury College.

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic History

Explored by Columbus on his first voyage in 1492 He named it La Española 1496 - the capital, Santo Domingo, is the oldest

European settlement in the Western Hemisphere. 1775 – Spain ceded the colony to France 1801 - Haitian blacks under Toussaint L'Ouverture

conquered 1808 - the people revolted and set up the first

republic 1814 - Spain regained title to the colony 1822 - the colony was reconquered by the Haitians. 1844 – Haitians thrown out and the Dominican

Republic established, headed by Pedro Santana.

1861-1865 - Uprisings and Haitian attacks led Santana to make the country a province of Spain

1870 - President Buenaventura Báez attempted to have the country annexed to the U.S., but the U.S. Senate refused to ratify a treaty.

1916 - Disorder continued until the dictatorship of Ulíses Heureaux

1916 – 1924 U.S. marines stay to suppress uprisings 1930 - Rafaél Trujillo overthrew Horacio Vásquez and

established a dictatorship 1961 – Trujillo’s assassination 1962 - Juan Bosch became the first democratically

elected president in 40 years

Dominican Republic History (cont.)

Rafael Trujillo

Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina October 24, 1891 – May 30, 1961 Nicknamed El Jefe (The Chief or The Boss) Ruled as a dictator of the Dominican republic from 1930 until his

assassination in 1961. Served as president from 1930 to 1938 and 1942 to 1952 Otherwise ruling as an unelected military strongman 30 years in power - the Trujillo Era One of the bloodiest eras ever in the Americas A time of a classic personality cult when monuments to Trujillo

were in abundance Responsible for the death of more than 50,000 people, including

20,000 to 30,000 in the infamous Parsley Massacre

Trujillo Background

Cult of personality An individual uses mass media, propaganda, or

other methods creates an idealized, heroic, and, at times god-like

public image The Parsley Massacre Trujillo ordered all Haitians living in the Dominican

Republic killed. Over 20,000 killed Origin of name – Myth holds that soldiers would

ask the people to pronounce ‘parsley’ in Spanish – those who pronounced it with a ‘trill’ would live.

The Mirabal Sisters

The Sisters: Patria, Dede, Minerva, & Maria Teresa (Mate)

Four Dominican political dissidents Opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo November 25, 1960 - Patria, Minerva, and

Maria Teresa assassinated Dedé Mirabal lived and tells the stories of

the death of her sisters. 1999 - the United Nations named

November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Early Life

Daughters of a farmer

Grew up in an upper class, well-cultured environment

All four sisters became married, family women.

Influenced by her uncle, Minerva became more involved in the anti-Trujillo movement.

Opposition Movement

The sisters formed a group of opponents to the Trujillo regime

The Movement of the Fourteenth of June. Within that group, they were known as

"The Butterflies” (Las Mariposas in Spanish)

Butterfly – Minerva’s underground name Three of the sisters' husbands were

incarcerated at La Victoria Penitentiary in Santo Domingo.

A Sad Ending Despite setbacks,

they fought to end Trujillo's leadership.

After the sisters' numerous imprisonments, Trujillo eventually had them murdered, along with their driver, Rufino de la Cruz, on November 25, 1960.

In the Time of the Butterflies

1986 – In the Dominican Republic, Alvarez became aware that there was no proper story about the sisters.

“What happened on that trip was that the past turned into the present in my imagination.”

She wrote In the Time of the Butterflies as historical fiction (a blend of history and fiction).

Alvarez’s Journey Alvarez met Dede

Mirabal in 1992. “It was after this

meeting that I decided to write a novel about the Mirabal sisters…. I believed that only by making them real, alive, could I make them mean anything to the rest of us.”Dede

Mirabal