Essay Questions

What does the title of the novel reveal about its plot and themes?

The title of the novel indicates that it tells a story about personal experiences of being under oppression of dictatorship, and the road that led to freedom. Anita’s story is not only a story about a path to freedom from the dictatorship, but also a story about her growth as an individual, becoming a person who doesn’t allow anything to take away her freedom.

What is the meaning of butterflies in the novel?

The butterflies are mentioned throughout the novel. They represent real people who started the resistance against the dictator Trujillo, but they grow to become symbol of the resistance, fight for freedom, courage and resilience. The novel appropriately ends with the image of butterflies in the snow, indicating that Anita finally grew her wings, became fearless and free.

What is the significance of the story being told through Anita’s eyes?

Anita is a twelve-year-old girl who finds herself in the midst of the chaos of the resistance against the dictatorship, her family being the center of it. Anita’s point of view shows the childlike innocence, childish observations of the serious events happening in the background. The more she learns through fragments of conversations she overhears, the less naïve and innocent she grows to be, which is even literally portrayed through her physical changes.