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

Lesson 8
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ELA

Unit 4

9th Grade

Lesson 8 of 28

Objective


Analyze how Alvarez develops her central ideas of storytelling and uses literary foils to characterize Dedé and Jaimito.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez  pp. 63 – 83 — Chapter 5: Dedé

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

What role does Lío play in Dedé's understanding of Trujillo's regime, and how does the truth impact her? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

How does the opening of the chapter on pages 63–66 develop Alvarez's ideas in the novel about legacy and storytelling? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Compare and contrast Minerva and Dedé. How does Minerva serve as a foil to Dedé in this chapter? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Compare and contrast Jaimito and Lío. How does Lío serve as a foil to Jaimito? Provide specific evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Vocabulary


Literary Terms

literary foil

a character whose purpose is to highlight or draw attention to the qualities of another character, most often the protagonist, by having contrasting or opposite characteristics

Text-based

frivolity

n.

(p. 70)

lack of seriousness, lightheartedness

peevish

adj.

(p. 73)

easily irritated, especially by unimportant things

reticence

n.

(p. 76)

reluctance

Homework


Read Chapter 6, pages 84–102.

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • How does Minerva feel about living at home?

  • What does Minerva learn about her father?

  • What does Minerva find in her father's room, and how does she react?

  • Why does the family go to the Discovery Day Dance?

  • What happens while Trujillo dances with Minerva?

  • What does Minerva realize she left behind at the dance? Why is that significant?

Annotation Focus

  • Note moments that characterize Minerva's relationship with her father.

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • 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.

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 Alvarez develops ideas about gender roles within Dominican society and how Minerva challenges her role as a woman.

Lesson 9
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