Structure+and+Style

The novel's four narrators, the Mirabel Sisters, each have a different writing style which reflects on how they view the world as a person. Alvarez chooses to have Maria Teresa to share her experiences through a diary because keeping a diary is somethign that many children do. Alvarez wants us to remember that Maria Teresa is the baby of the family, even as she joins the rebellion and is increasingly involved in dangerous activities she retains her youthful innocence. The diary, which she first recieves as a child is used a a medium to record her happy moments and voice her worries. She has the most simplistic viewpoint of all the sisters, and in her writing it is made clear that she looks up to them.

Julia Alvarez uses the layout and structure of her novel to display Dede, the only surviving Mirabel sister, as a very important person and treats her kindly. The dedication in the beginning of the novel, "For Dede," shows the author's respect for the woman. The novel is split into four parts, the first three with four different sections narrated by each sister, and the last of which is an epilogue by Dede. Dede both starts the first section, and ends the novel with her Epilogue. Alvarez used this frame narrative to highlight her admiration for Dede as well as the regard that she has for her.

** Change in the Order of the Narratives: **  // In the Time of the Butterflies // is divided up into three sections. They each are introduced by Dede, in a frame narrative style, followed by the headstrong Minerva, followed by Maria Teresa and finally the gentle Patria. The sole survivor, Dede somberly begins, because she acts as another narrator. Dede is naturally followed by her extremely independent and determined sister Minerva. Maria Teresa follows Minerva, for she absolutely idolizes Minerva and is the first sister to follow her in her dedication to the civil rights movement. The doting sister Patria’s personality is the kindest; therefore she would not mind coming last. However in the third and final section Dede begins, followed by Patria, then Maria Teresa and finally Minerva. This final section is where the tragic events (the murder of the sisters) are retold at last; therefore all patterns are shattered or thrown aside, for their lives are changed forever.

**Bomb Depiction:**

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Maria Teresa’s diary lends great insight into both the progress of the cause and the development of her character and personal life. On page 144 there is a depiction of a bomb drawn by Maria Teresa. Alvares purposely places this drawing between Maria Teresa’s love notes about Leandro to emphasize that the revolution is an accepted part of life for these sisters. Maria Teresa creates bombs in her apartment but she still retains her girlish qualities, fantasizing about love and her future. The depiction of the bomb is also an example Maria Teresa’s character development. At the beginning of the book she was the youngest of the family, always left behind and constantly looking at her older sisters for guidance. However, now she has morphed from a small girl, the child of the family, to a strong revolutionary. The casualness with which Maria Teresa describes the bomb displays how strongly embedded the rebellion is in the lives of these revolutionary sisters. =====