TiaBentivegna

Ms.Gardner
English10,Period2
14November2014
IntheTimeofAnnotatingtheButterflies
Martinez,YolandaP."Alvarez,Julia."InRamirez,LuzElena,ed.
Encyclopediaof

HispanicAmericanLiterature
.NewYork:FactsOnFile,Inc.,2008.
Bloom'sLiterature
.

FactsOnFile,Inc.Web.1Nov.2014.
MartinezsarticleprovidesasophisticatedandallencompassingbackdropofhowJulia
Alvarezgrewup,herfamilylife,andthemanynovelsshehaswrittenandawardsshehas
won.ComingfromtheDominicanRepublic,escapingTrujillosrule,andsomehow
findingherwaytotheUnitedStateswhereshehaswrittenmanynovelsandhasbeenthe
recipientofmultipleawards,Alvarezisnostrangerwhenitcomestoseeingthe
consequencesofwomenmigratingorbeingexiledhence,shehasapersonalconnection
withmanyofhernovels.InsummarizingAlvarezspastandpresent,Martinezincludes
informationonhowAlvarezsstoriesarealmostalwaysbasedonacoupleofdifferent
themesnegotiatingthepastandthepresent,exileandhome,languageandmemory
whichhelptounderstandthetruemeaningandmessagesembodiedwithinallofher
works.

Martinezoffersclearcut,coherentknowledgeonAlvarezslife,butherprimarymotive
inthisarticleisgivingthereaderalookintothefewthemesthatarewoventhroughout

allofhernovelsandthatselfdiscoveryhelpsonetoreturntotheirownroots.Thediction
usedisalsoscholarlyandacademicindescribingthesevariousaspectsinhernovels.
Thatsaid,theinformationisveryusefultoanyliteraryscholarorstudentwhowishesto
learnaboutAlvarezandtheamazingnovelsanduniversalthemesportrayedinherwords.

Martinez,YolandaP."DominicanAmericanliterature."InRamirez,LuzElena,ed.

EncyclopediaofHispanicAmericanLiterature
.NewYork:FactsOnFile,Inc.,2008.

Bloom'sLiterature
.FactsOnFile,Inc.Web.8Nov.2014.
Martinezsarticleprovidesinsightfulandthoroughinformationonthelivesofmany
DominicansduringtherulingofTrujilloandothertyrantsintheDominicanRepublic.
Significantly,thearticleincludesfactsaboutvariousauthorswhohavealsocomefrom
theDominicanRepublic,muchlikeJuliaAlvarez,andwroteabouttheirpersonal
experiencesinescapingthecountrysawfultyrants.Inaddition,thisarticledescribeshow
thesemigrantsnovelsincludeddetailedinformationonthetopicsofexileand
discriminationthattookplaceintheirnativeland.

Thisarticleoffersclearandinformativematerialforthosewhoareinterestedinlearning
moreaboutthetyrantsintheDominicanRepublicthatcausedmanyoftheDominicansto
fleetotheUnitedStates.Theauthorsneutral,yetprecise,dictioncanhelpanyonewhois
interestedinbetterunderstanding
IntheTimeoftheButterflies
becauseitilluminatesthe
realityofwhatmanyDominicanshadtogothroughandbringsthenoveltolifeinthat
onecantrulycomprehendtheseverityoftheMirabalsisterslivesanddeaths.Theauthor

alsooutlinescommonexperiencesthatmostDominicanswentthroughwhiledelvinginto
thetruemeaningsinthenovelsthatcomeoutoftheseexperiences.Allencompassing,the
informationinthisarticleisincrediblyusefultoanyreaderwhogenuinelywantstofind
outmoreabouttheissuesthattookplaceintheDominicanRepublicandhowthey
closelyrelatetotheissuesthattakeplaceinAlvarezsnovel.

Mills,Fiona."
IntheTimeoftheButterflies
."InWerlock,AbbyH.P.,ed.
TheFactsOnFile

CompaniontotheAmericanNovel
.NewYork:FactsOnFile,Inc.,2006.
Bloom's

Literature
.FactsOnFile,Inc.Web.1Nov.2014.
MillssarticleprovidesintelligentandinsightfulinformationofthelivesoftheMirabal
sistersandhowtheytransformedfromdomesticwivesandmothersintobravemartyrs,
or,butterflies.Takingasincereandthoughtfulapproachtotherealitiesofwhatthese
sistershadtogothroughandtheseverityoftheirdeaths,Millstouchesonthegoalseach
sisterhadwhilesummarizingthenovelanditsapparentcentralityofthegrowtheach
sistertook.Duringhersummarizing,Millsincludesdetailedinformationonthesisters
andultimatelythepointswhereeachofthemchosetosacrificetheirlivesforthegoodof
theircountrywithsignificantquotesfromthenovel.

Millsoffersaclearandconciseunderstandingofthevariouscharactersinthenoveland
howtheirtriumphsandmishapshighlighttheiroveralltransformationfromcalmand
devotedwivesandmotherstoinfluentiallybravewomenwhostoodfortheimportanceof
theirandtheircountrysfreedomfromthecrueldictatorship.Theauthororganizesher

ideasinachronologicalmannerbyilluminatingthelivesandgoalseachsisterheld,
accentuatingthetransformationandgrowththeyallundertook,andclosingwiththe
devastatingendingstheyunfortunatelyhadtogothrough.Usingprecise,academic
diction,thearticleopensitsaudienceuptomanypeopleofdifferentageshowever,itcan
beespeciallyrelatabletomosthighschoolstudentsduetothetransformationtheyendure
inthosevulnerableyearsof
their
lives.Thatsaid,theinformationinthisarticlecanbe
usefultoavarietyofagesbecausetheeffectsoftheMirabalsistersdefianceofthe
dictatorshipwerequitebrutal,yetmanypeoplecanlookatthatwiththehopetobejustas
determinedtostandforsomethingtheybelievein,nomatterhowbigorsmall.

Snodgrass,MaryEllen."Alvarez,Julia."
EncyclopediaofFeministLiterature
.NewYork:Facts

OnFile,Inc.,2006.(Updated2006.)
Bloom'sLiterature
.FactsOnFile,Inc.Web.1Nov.

2014.
SnodgrasssarticlecomprehensivelytouchesonthelifestylethatJuliaAlvarez,theauthor
of
IntheTimeoftheButterflies
,hadwhilegrowingupandhowshecametobetheauthor
sheistoday.ShecamefromtheDominicanRepublicwhileitwasunderthedictatorship
ofGeneralissimoRafaelTrujillo,justlikeinthenovel.Significantly,Alvarez
understandsthecontrollinganddismalauraofthecountrythatshewritesaboutinher
story.IntheprocessofreferencingAlvarezspast,Snodgrassalsoincludessomeofthe
othernovelsthatAlvarezhaswrittenaswellasherinspirationsformanyofthosenovels.

Thisarticleoffersclearandconciseinformationforthoseinterestedinunderstanding
moreabouttheauthorofthecompellingnovelthattouchedtheheartsofmanypeople.
NotonlymentioningthenovelsthatAlvarezhaswritten,buttheinspirationsforthose
novelsilluminatesAlvarezstruepersonalityandwhatdriveshertowritesuch
memorablestories.Thisarticlealsousesproper,neutraldictioninordertomakeit
readableandappropriateformostaudiences.Concluding,Snodgrassdisplaysuseful
backgroundinformationforthosewhohaveadesiretolookintoAlvarezshistoryand
understandhowshegrewupandbecametheauthorandpoetsheistoday.

Snodgrass,MaryEllen."
IntheTimeoftheButterflies
."
EncyclopediaofFeministLiterature
.
NewYork:FactsOnFile,Inc.,2006.
Bloom'sLiterature
.FactsOnFile,Inc.Web.28
Oct.2014.

Snodgrasssarticleprovidesinsightfulandthoroughbackgroundinformationontheplot,
era,andvariouscharactersinthenovel,aswellasthetriumphsandmishapsthat
eachcharacterhastoendurethroughoutthenovel.Takingaseriousandwellthought
approachduetothesensitivitythatonecanhavewhilereadingreadthisnovel,Snodgrass
touchesonthequalitiesanddesiresthateachoftheMirabalsistersupholdsandhoweach
oftheirstoriespannedout.Intheprocess,Snodgrasscomplimentsthesistersintheir
strengthanddeterminationinstandingupforsomethingsovastandalmostseemingly
impossibletoovercomeintheirtimeperiodandsetting:freedomforallofthepeoplein
theDominicanRepublic.

Snodgrassoffersdetailedknowledgeforthoseconsideringreadingthiswonderfulnovel,
buthermainintentionisprovidingthereaderwithanilluminationofhoweachofthe
sistersovercametheirfearsandpossibledoubtstosavetheircountryandstandfor
somethingtheyalltrulybelievein.Ratherthanamereoverviewoftheplot,Snodgrass
providescriticaldetailsofthestorywhilehighlightingtheimportantmessageofnever
givinguponsomethingonebelievesin,whichtheMirabalsistersexemplifyinAlvarezs
novel.Withitsaccurateoverviewoftheplot,withitsgraciousandconsideratedetailson
eachofthesisterspersonalitiesandcharacteristics,withitsclearportrayalofthetrue
meaningofthenovel,thistextisareliablesourceforunderstandingthecomplexlivesof
theMirabalsistersandcanbehelpfultoanyonewhoenjoysagoodreadonthetrialsand
triumphsofhardworkingsisterswhoalwayssticktogether.

Snodgrass,MaryEllen."SisterhoodandFeministLiterature."
EncyclopediaofFeminist

Literature
.NewYork:FactsOnFile,Inc.,2006.
Bloom'sLiterature
.FactsOnFile,Inc.

Web.8Nov.2014.

Snodgrasssarticleoffersagreatamountofinformationpertainingtothemanynovels
withsimilarsubjectsandthemesthattakeplacein
IntheTimeoftheButterflies
byJulia
Alvarez.Thisarticlenamesbookafterbookthatallhaveacentralthemewithinthemthat
relatestosisterhood.Intheprocessofsummarizingkeypointsineachofthesefeministic
novels,Snodgrasstouchesonthedifferenttypesofsisterhoodandhowonedoesnthave
tohaveasistertounderstandwhatitisliketohavesomeonealwaysbyonesside:The
warmthandcaringofcellmatesretrieveMagdalenafromdespair(Sisterhoodand

FeministLiterature).Thisquoteexemplifiesthatwhetheroneisacellmateinprison,
likeinAlvarezsnovel,orabloodrelatedsister,onecanalwaysfindatruefriendthat
willstandbythem.

Thisarticledisplaysdetailedadviceandinformationonthemanynovelsthatwillserveto
portraysimilarthemeslikeAlvarezs,inthatsisterhoodcanwithstandanyobstacles.The
authorformulatesherideasinanorganizedmannerbeginningwiththesimplebondingof
sistersthattakesplaceincertainnovelsandworkingitswaytotheimportanceofhaving
asisterorsomeonetolooktoinhard,isolatedtimessuchastheMirabalsisterswhen
theywereinprison.Thearticleusesprecise,elevateddictioninordertoattractamore
matureaudienceduetothehigherlevelsofmaturityandsophisticationmanyofthe
novelsmentionedhave.Thatsaid,theinformationinthisarticleisquitehelpfulin
understandingthevalueofsistersandthesignificanceofhavingoneindifficulttimes:
theMirabalsistersthoughttheywereseeingtheendwhentheywerefinallyputinprison
fortheirdefiantactions,butbeingtogetherandbeingsurroundedbyotherbrave,yet
vulnerable,womengavethemthecouragetopullthrough.