In the Time of the Butterflies

Why does Alvarez write the novel from different points of view?

Is there a reason for this? What are the strengths and weaknesses of choosing the writing style?

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Up until the epilogue, Dede tells the story in the third person, whereas her sisters tell their stories in the first person. These different types of narration (moving between them) allow the reader to look back at past events through Dede's eyes, all while experiencing the events in the first person through the sisters. In the epilogue, Dede narrates in the first person for the first time, and the reader hears her present point of view as she speaks to the interviewer.