Discussion Questions In the Time of Butterflies Minerva, Patria and María Teresa Mirabal Although she does not reveal the details, Alvarez lets us know from the start that the novel will end tragically. Why do you think she made this choice? How do the sisters differ in personality, goals and self-expression? How does Alvarez dramatize these differences? How does the Trujillo regime portray itself? What means does it use to build a positive public image? How does this police state control its citizens? How do its methods develop over the course of the novel? What kinds of violence are directed against women both politically and socially? How do these forms of violence connect to the experiences of the men? Turning again to the men in the book. Does the father make you feel sympathetic or judgemental? Do your feelings change as the book progresses? Is Jaimito a good man or not? Alvarez has said, "You can get rid of a dictator, but it's much harder to get rid of