¡Viva Las Mariposas! Voice and Agency in In the Time of the Butterflies

Lesson 5
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ELA

Unit 4

9th Grade

Lesson 5 of 28

Objective


Analyze the tone of María Teresa's diary and how it contributes to her characterization.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez  pp. 30 – 43 — Chapter 3: María Teresa

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

On page 39, María Teresa writes, "Everything looks just a little different." How and why does María Teresa's view of Trujillo change? Provide specific evidence and carefully explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

What is the initial tone of María Teresa's diary entries? Why and how does the tone shift on page 38? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

How is the relationship between Minerva and María Teresa characterized? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

epistolary format

a text written as a series of letters, diary entries, or newspaper clippings

tone

an author/speaker's attitude toward a topic or an audience, which is often conveyed through word choice and/or literary devices

Text-based

resolve

(pp. 34 - 35)

(n.): firm determination to do something; (v.): to decide firmly on a course of action

Homework


Read Chapter 4.

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What was Patria like as a child? Why does her family think she will become a nun?

  • Who is Pedrito, and how does he cause Patria to abandon her dream of becoming a nun?

  • Why was Patria worried about Minerva?

  • What are Patria's thoughts about Trujillo?

  • What happens to Patria's faith as a result of losing her baby?

  • While on the pilgrimage, what does Patria hear the Virgin Mary say to her on the altar?

Annotation Focus

  • Note any religious imagery in the chapter.

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
  • RL.9-10.5 — Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9

Next

Analyze how biblical allusions and religious imagery contribute to an understanding of Patria's character.

Lesson 6
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