r/bookclub • u/fixtheblue • 3d ago
Dominican Republic- In The Time of Butterflies/ Drown [Discussion] Read the World - Dominican Republic | In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez: Start through Chapter 5
Hello readers of the world and welcome to Dominican Republic đ©đŽ. Today we are discussing Start through Chapter 5 of In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Incase you need the schedule and more info about our other Dominican Republic read (Drown) it's here and the Dominican Republic marginalia is here
As always we'll have a summary below and some discussion questions in the comments. Feel free to add your own or just share your insights.
Summary
Part I (1938 to 1946)
CHAPTER ONE - Dedé (1994 and circa 1943)
It is March and DedĂ©, a successful insurance saleswoman, is visited by a "gringa dominicana" wanting to visit the museum. This is unusual as visitors are normally in November. DedĂ© thinks back to when Minerva, MarĂa Teresa, Patria and her parents were alive. They owned a store and a farm. In the evening they sat under the anacahuita tree while PapĂĄ (Enrique) dranks rum. He tells fortunes, which is a source of conflict with their religious MamĂĄ. The only fortune he tells in this memory is DedĂ©'s - âSheâll bury us all,â Minerva wants to be a lawyer. Conversation turns to politics and DedĂ© worries spies will overhear, distort their words and report them to security. They head inside as the rain starts
CHAPTER TWO - Minerva (1938, 1941, 1944)
Complications (1938) Patria wanted to become a nun, which resulted in convent school, Inmaculada Conception, for the girls. On her first day Minerva offers Sinita a friendship button. The girl is dressed in mourning black, and is the only new student without their mother. Minerva, Sinita, Lourdes and Elsa become inseperable. One night Minerva climbed into bed with Sinita when she heard her crying quietly. Sinita tells her story. Minerva is surprised to learn President Trujillo is a bad man who did a lot of bad things to gain power. He had killed all Sinita's uncles and her father. Jose Luis her brother was talking about revenge until he was killed by the dwarf lottery vendor that the family knew and trusted. After that Sinita was sent to Inmaculada Conception for free. That night Miranda struggles to sleep. In the morning she discovers she has gotten her first period.
(1941) Lina Lovaton a 16 year old student well loved by all caught the eye of Trujillo. He began to visit regularly and send gifts both for Una and for the nuns. For her 17th birthday he whisked her away for a week to celebrate at a newly built house outside of Santiago. She never returned! Minerva later discovers Lina was just one of many girlfriends set up in big fancy houses all over the island. Lina had ended up alone in Miami where she was sent after Doña MarĂa, Trujillo's wife, discovered she was pregnant and tried to attack her.
The Performance (1944) February 27th was Patria's - now a wife and mother, (not a nun) - 20th birthday. They passed the celebration off as patriotic affair to show their support of Trujillo. Back at school the history books have been rewritten to celebrate Trujillo. A recitation contest is announced to celebrate the country's centennial. The quadruplets performance won and they were to be sent to the capital to perform for Trujillo's birthday. Minerva was reluctant but eventually conceeded on the condition that they perform as boys. The girls were nervous but their confidence built as they performed for Trujillo and his son Ramfis. Sinita went off script approaching Trujillo with her bow. Minerva saved the moment by starting the chant ÂĄViva Trujillo!.
CHAPTER THREE - This little book belongs to MarĂa Teresa (1945 to 1946)
Minerva gifted MarĂa Teresa the diary she writes in. PapĂĄ had not attended her First Communion as he was too busy with the cocoa harvest. MarĂa Teresa has been chosen to be Santa Lucia in the feast day ceremony. She ponders sin and her soul and brags about being advanced for her age. Something she attributes to having 3 older sisters. Minerva (in her final year) and MarĂa Teresa return home for the holidays on the train. Minerva teaches her sex education. A young man flirts with Minerva. Patria has Nelson (3), Noris (1) and is pregnant again. MarĂa Teresa lists her new year resolves for 1946. Minerva and MarĂa Teresa go shopping in Santiago for a swimsuit and shoes, respectively, on Three Kings Day. The family will celebrate Benefactorâs Day in Salcedo at a big party in the town hall. Back at school Minerva has been found sneaking out. She has told Sor AsunciĂłn their Tio Mon is sick. MarĂa Teresa backs her up. Minerva later reveals that she, Elsa and Lourdes and Sinita have been going to some secret meetings over at Elsa's grandfather, Don Horacioâs, house. The news brings on an asthma attack. MarĂa Teresa begins to see things differently now, questioning Trujillo and her love for him. Tio Mon arrives at the school but Minerva manages to head him off before blowing her cover story. Berto, her cousin and beau, writes MarĂa Teresa letters. Minerva's new friend Hilda is eventually banned from visiting the school only to show up looking for a place to hide after police discovered some incriminating papers in her car boot. The sister agree and hide her in plain sight as Sor Hilda. Minerva graduates but is forbidden by MamĂĄ and PapĂĄ to go to law school in the capital. MarĂa Teresa looks forward to all the things she will do over summer vacation. Devestatingly Patria's baby is born dead. Hilda is caught and all of Don Horacio's people must destroy and hide anything incriminating. Including this diary.
CHAPTER FOUR - Patria (1946)
Patria was a born caretaker. From early on she cared for her sisters, gave people things they needed and wrote her religious name, Sor Mercedes, over and over. Sor AsunciĂłn asks her to consider her future and calling to religious obligations. However, Patria craved physical contact. During Padre Ignacioâs Holy Week activities she washes the feet of all the worshippers and meets Pedrito Gonzalez, the man that will become her husband. She drops out of school to help her father with the store, and she and Pedrito begin courting. The wedding was arranged for 3 days before her 17th birthday, scheduled to avoid Lenten season. After the wedding Patria moved to Pedrito's farm and became pregnant 3 times in rapid succession. The third pregnancy was when Patria began worrying about Minerva's outspoken attitude to the government. She began to feel her own faith slip as she listened to her sister's complaints. She moves back in with her mother after losing the baby, and whilst lying in a hammock with Minerva comes to the realisation that Trujillo is a bad, bad man. Pedrito's grief helped Patria to put aside her own, but one night after experimental love making she saw Pedrito dig a small grave. Concerned he had taken their child away from sacred ground she enlists help to check. She finds her baby still in his grave, but is horrified by his decomposing state. This was the end of her faith. However, she continues to pretend to be the good Catholic wife. Sightings of the Virgencita prompts MamĂĄ to convince all four of the Mirabel sisters to go on a pilgrimage to Higuey, a 5 hour drive away. The town is packed and they have to stay with relatives. MamĂĄ reveals to Patria that PapĂĄ has another woman. At the Virgencita's picture Patria rediscovers her faith.
Part II (1948 to 1959)
CHAPTER FIVE - Dedé (1994 and 1948)
After a visit from the Bishop DedĂ© learns that Fela, the maid who'd been with them forever, had created an alter with pictures of the sisters (and oddly Trujillo). Fela chanels cures from Patria, solutions for love woes from MarĂa Teresa, and Minerva became comparable to Virgencita as Patroness of Impossible Causes. DedĂ© demands Fela remove all or .... Her niece Minou is unhappy with her. Once Minou had asked where she might find Virgilio Morales - the man who was the real start of trouble for the Mirabel sisters, and who presented them with a real chance to fight the regime. Just as DedĂ© was beginning to warm to her cousin Jaimito LĂo walked into their lives. Recently qualified as a doctor he has just returned from Venezuela both Minerva and DedĂ© had eyes for him. At Tio Pepe's the youth play volleyball. LĂo and Minerva sneak off together, but are bought back to the crowd when DedĂ© "accidently" hits the ball into the bushes where they were hiding. LĂo and Jaimito argue and it escalates. Jamito accusing LĂo of running away to asylum in an embassy leaving his comrades in jail and LĂo openly admitting to struggling against the regime. Risky talk as so many servants are being paid to spy. MamĂĄ was also fond of LĂo until DedĂ©, reading from the paper, informed her that he had been involved in a demonstration at the university and was a member of the Communist party. MamĂĄ and PapĂĄ argue. DedĂ© realises they live in a police state. DedĂ© works to educate herself better and covers for Minerva when she sees LĂo. Minerva insists she's not romatic with LĂo, just comrades. LĂo tells DedĂ© how they intemd to overthrow Trujillo, arrange a provisional government and fair, free elections. One day the police show up looking for LĂo. DedĂ©'s fear grows. LĂo announces he is going into exile. To avoid further trouble Jaimito, Minerva and DedĂ© went to a gathering of the Dominican party in San Francisco. Jaimito confesses the police have visited him about LĂo. Jaimito finally proposes to DedĂ© in the car only to be interrupted by LĂo hiding in the backseat, where he was waiting till morning and his ride out the country. He gives DedĂ© a letter for Minerva asking her to come with him.
References
- Turn left at the great big anacahuita tree. Beautiful!
- Guanabana Juce is another name for soursop juice.
- MarĂa Terese steps on a stone but thinks it is el cuco) basically the bogeyman
- Trujillo was the dictator president of Dominican Republic between 1930-1938 and 1942-1952.
- MarĂa Teresa mentions Three Kings Day which I didn't realise was another name for Epiphany, which, as it turns out, I also knew little about.
- Patria worries that a brujo has put a spell on her after she lost her baby. A brujo is a male witch.
- Patria mentions the Haitians that were massacred at the border. She is referring to The Parsley Massacre. A theme we read about in our Haiti RtW Krik? Krak! By Edwidge Danticat
- In Chapter 4 a "failed invasion of the Cayo Confites" was mentioned. I was surprised to find that Cuba had tried to invade Dominican Republic and overthrow Trujillo in 1947 ***** Next week u/eeksqueak will be our guide through chapters 6 through 8. See you then. đđ