In the Time of the Butterflies

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What ideas come to mind when you hear the word dictator? What is the difference between a dictator and a president? What might life be like under a dictator?

Teaching Suggestion: To introduce students to the concept of living in a dictatorship—and with sensitivity to any students with firsthand experience—ask them to draw up a list of freedoms they have. Have them explain the importance. Introduce the concept that government that respects individual freedom and the rule of law is a relatively recent concept. Use contemporary examples of dictatorships—Putin, Maduro, Kim Jong-un, Kagame, Al-Assad—to underscore the relevance of the story of the Mirabal sisters under the Trujillo regime.

• A 2005 article published by the Society of History Education by high school teacher Stephen Pagaard explores how to explain dictatorships to teenagers using the example of the Nazi regime in Germany. (Teacher-facing; requires school or library JSTOR account to view)
• A helpful, current, and objective overview of the Trujillo era from ThoughtCo

2. What obligations does a citizen of a country run by a dictator have to oppose that unjust government? What are the risks? What must a person give up to join a resistance movement? Is it more heroic to oppose such a government or to find ways to survive?

Teaching Suggestion: Because the United States has never endured a dictatorship, making such a form of government real to students can be a challenge. From the perspective of citizens in a democracy, the responsibilities for opposing a government through guerilla movements like those the Mirabal sisters join is a tricky concept. Stimulate discussion by suggesting that students consider the struggle for American independence from the British crown or contemporary domestic issues—racism, climate change, education reform, school shootings—in which governments can seem reluctant and young activists can make a difference.

• The World Youth Alliance offers examples of how the idealism and energy of youths can change difficult political, social, and economic realities.
• A helpful example might be the White Rose Resistance, a group of courageous and idealistic students in Nazi Germany who organized an unsuccessful resistance movement against fascism and against Hitler specifically.

Short Activity

The novel reveals how young people can work against great odds and at great risk to change conditions they see as intolerable. In small groups, complete this activity.

• Discuss why young people might take an interest in changing the world.
• Brainstorm causes in the United States that might engage young people.
• Share ideas about how young people might change conditions they consider unacceptable.

Teaching Suggestion: Students can explore the theme of Courage vs. Cowardice using any of the following young people who worked, often at great peril, for social, political, and cultural change.

• Malala Yousafzai
• Yara Shahidi
• Kehkashan Basu
• Rosa Parks
• X González
• Emi Salida
• Aung San Suu Kyi
• Greta Thunberg

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Think about any issue about which you feel strongly: racism, the pandemic, education reform, the environment, voting rights, law and order, religious prejudice, privacy rights, or gun control, for example. Write a one-page letter to the US president suggesting one way the country might deal with the problem.

Teaching Suggestion: Instead of writing a letter, you might allow students to form groups based on the issues that interest them and then discuss possible reforms or actions. Discussion about social and political activism may prepare students to understand the heroic courage of the Mirabal sisters. These causes require sacrifice and put the activists at risk of imprisonment and death. Speaking up requires courage, confidence, and commitment. This prompt reflects the novel’s themes of Courage vs. Cowardice, Women, and Freedom and Imprisonment. If students write a letter, remind them to use a respectful tone and suggest they use a problem-solution structure.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who are English language learners might respond to the prompt by drawing an illustration of the problem and a few sentences that explain their idea for addressing the problem.