In the Time of the Butterflies

With any personality cult, the image of the individual plays a key role. Part of Trujillo’s personality cult, then, is the rule that every family must have a picture of “El Jefe” (Trujillo) displayed in their home. There is a portrait of him in Mamá’s house next to a picture of Jesus, a combination that becomes a powerful symbol for Patria, who sometimes sees the two as opposites—God and devil—but occasionally sees their faces merge as well. At a later date, Patria even finds herself accidentally praying to Trujillo instead of to God. The portraits of Trujillo, then, represent El Jefe’s aspirations to become a godlike figure to his people, watching over everything and having total control of the Dominican Republic. In part, the portraits also show the pervasive fear of his police state, so that Dominican children are raised up to love Trujillo just as they are raised to love God. His portrait even appears in the convent school, watching over the girls, and his desire to occupy the same position as god is suggested by his demand that everyone praise him as their “Benefactor.”

Over time, the Mirabal sisters come to be known as the Mariposas, or the Butterflies. They are heralded as a national symbol of strength and defiance. It is interesting that they are represented by butterflies, given that the symbolism of the butterfly is appropriate for both their lives and their deaths. Butterflies symbolize freedom, first and foremost. Their wings allow them to fly, to take flight, and in this way, they soar over hurdles in their way. Likewise, the Mirabal sisters took flight from their cages and soared above adversity. Like butterflies, they emerged from the cocoons of their youth as beautiful and elusive creatures. They succeeded in soaring above the regime until their deaths in 1960. Butterflies, however, also represent frailty. This is especially true for women under the regime, as they were viewed as fragile and incapable of entering into politics. This aspect of the butterfly symbolism extends even further, however, to show that anyone who stands up to Trujillo’s regime is, in effect, a butterfly whose fragile wings can easily be crushed by the dictator’s ruthless regime.