In the Time of the Butterflies

(1953)

The narrative switches to entries from another of María Teresa’s diaries and uses her nickname, “Mate.” She reveals that Papá died recently and that she now knows about his mistress. Mate is angry that Carmen and her illegitimate daughters actually attended the funeral. As a result of her father’s infidelity, Mate claims to hate all men. She writes about her mourning for her father and about a recurring dream where she is soon to be married. In the dream, she cannot seem to find her wedding dress, so she looks in Papá’s coffin. The wedding dress is inside, torn into pieces, and when she removes all the pieces she finds Papá smiling underneath. She wakes up screaming, and wakes everyone else up with her screams as well.

Mate starts consulting Fela, their servant, about her future, and asks particularly about boyfriends. At the moment, she is trying to decide between her two cousins, Berto and Raúl. Mate then copies out a letter that she and Mamá wrote to Trujillo to inform him of Papá’s death, and to thank him for his beneficent protection. She then reveals that