In the Time of the Butterflies

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text that serve as examples of support.

1. A dynamic character is one who undergoes a profound evolution in their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and perception of themselves and/or their world during the story.

• In what way does Dedé’s changed perception of herself and her role in her sisters’ story make her the most dynamic character in the novel? (topic sentence)
• How does Dedé identify herself to the reporter in the opening chapters? How does that perception change in the closing chapter? Use the photos on the wall, for instance, and her definition of the role of a survivor.
• In your concluding sentences, define the importance of being the survivor. How does Dedé handle both her guilt and her pride?

2. Although Rafael Trujillo is the novel’s antagonist, the real antagonist is authoritarianism as a way of government and a way of life.

• What are the defining elements of authoritarian government in the story? (topic sentence)
• In his scenes in the novel, how does Trujillo reveal himself as an authoritarian leader? Use the party scenes, the story of Lina, his relationship with Minerva, and his butchery of the soldiers to help outline your argument.
• In your concluding sentences, make a connection to the theme of Dictatorship—for example, the psychological impact of authoritarian government on its people, how it conflates nationalism and terrorism, and how it provokes both love and hate in those who live under it.

3. In addition to their courage, their compassion, and their idealism, each Mirabal sister demonstrates a different kind of love.

• In what way is the story of the Mirabal sisters an exploration of love? (topic sentence)
• What examples of relationships reveal the different kinds of love represented by each sister? Use friendship, family love, love of country, love of God, and love of self as possible examples. Select 3 to discuss in the middle or body of your essay.
• In your concluding sentences, explain which kind of love you believe serves as the novel’s main focus. Is there one kind of love that is the basis for all the others?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. The title In the Time of the Butterflies focuses importance on the symbol of the butterfly. As each Mirabal sister transitions from being childlike—idealistic and unaware—into accepting the call to be a heroic resistance fighter, the butterfly takes on thematic importance. What meanings might the title have? How might butterflies be an appropriate symbol for freedom fighters everywhere? How are we still living in the time of the butterflies?

2. Alvarez’s novel blends history and fiction. All the major characters, most notably the Mirabal family and Trujillo himself, are real figures from history. The novelist, however, develops each historical figure as a fictional character, giving them thoughts, opinions, reactions, and dialogue. The novel also uses moments of magic realism—supernatural events that involve spirits, dreams, and ghosts. What, if anything, do you think a novelist can add to readers’ understanding of history? How is the work of a novelist different from that of a journalist or a historian? Using specific scenes in which the Mirabal sisters emerge as characters, argue which approach offers the truest version of history and why.

3. The novel juxtaposes male and female characters. Men are represented not only by Trujillo and Papá and the thugs who follow Trujillo’s brutal orders but also by the idealistic Lio, Jaimito, and Leandro. How are women represented? Analyze how the novel redefines women in the context of Latin culture and its expectations of women. How is the novel an endorsement of feminism?