Premium Essay

Butterfly Analysis

In: English and Literature

Submitted By jnhagan
Words 1366
Pages 6
The Death of a Butterfly “Las Mariposas”, The Butterflies, is the codename given to the Mirabal sisters upon their emergence into the Dominican Revolution. While the name grew from Minerva’s underground name, it also took on a symbol of hope, change, and transformation behind the suppression of the Dominican people. Throughout the novel each sister represents a different stage of the butterfly life cycle: Dede as an Egg, Patria as a caterpillar, Maria as a Pupa, and Minerva as an adult; each respective stage symbolizes the different levels of courage and sacrifice devoted to their country’s freedom from tyrant Rafael Trujillo. Alvarez uses symbolism in “The Time of the Butterflies” to suggest that the price of freedom paid by the Mirabal Sisters was not worth the cost when butterflies have such short lives. Butterflies have grown to symbolize a variety of different meanings throughout history and culture. Their metamorphosis is typically construed as a representation of change, purity, and rebirth, while some cultures view butterflies as a depiction of the soul or a transition between lives. Dede takes on the “Egg” stage of the butterfly life cycle as her character faces many obstacles despite being the least involved sister. Like the egg, Dede remains planted firmly where she was laid. “A chill goes through her, for she feels it in her bones, the future is now beginning. By the time it is over, it will be the past, and she doesn’t want to be the only one left to tell their story” (Alvarez 10). At the beginning of the novel, a sense of strong apprehension is introduced through Dede’s character to set the tone. It is clear that Dede realizes she is the most risk-averse of the sisters, but she also contradicts her sisters for their lack of responsibility. Dede has made herself available as a resource to be a mother, a teacher, and a leader to those left behind

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly Analysis

...Hardly anyone in the world has lived with locked-in syndrome, but author Jean Dominique Bauby is able to put us in the mindset of someone who has. In his memoir called “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” Bauby suddenly experiences a life-threatening stroke that had no oncoming. Bauby was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome which restricts him to the use of one eye to communicate with the world. The whole book was written by Bauby using a single eye to explain his deepest thoughts and to explain how it feels to have locked-in syndrome. Bauby effectively portrays the duality of the mental and physical existence through the use of tone and, language portrayed in the vignettes he writes. In the vignette “The photo,” we open with Bauby taking...

Words: 1070 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Improting Butterflies from Costa Rica

...Butterfly Beauties, Inc. Group 5 Karey Brown Jeff Fortenberry Suzie Hall Samantha Vazquez International Issues Business BUSI 4703 Dr. Juan Castro December 17, 2002 Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Why Butterfly Farming? 2 The History of Butterflies and Butterfly Farming 4 The Business of Butterfly Farming Butterflies 5 A Day in the Life of a Butterfly Farmer 6 Country Analysis: Costa Rica 8 The Land 9 Plant and Animal Life 10 The People 11 Greetings and Courtesies 13 Business Culture 14 The Economy 16 Table 1 17 Graphs 1, 2 18 Finance 18 Table 2 19 Government 19 Education 20 Health and Welfare 20 Resources 21 Agriculture 21 Table of Contents (cont.) Industry 22 Trade 22 Transportation 23 Butterfly Beauties, Inc. Operations Equipment and Supplies 25 Employees 27 Marketing Butterflies 28 Exportation/Shipping 31 Conclusion 32 Works Cited 33 Butterfly Beauties brochure Appendix Butterfly Beauties, Inc. Butterfly Farming in Costa Rica Executive Summary While the name may seem somewhat "flighty," butterfly farming is a serious business opportunity. The...

Words: 8667 - Pages: 35

Free Essay

Pestel

...Pestel analysis Political factors 1. The Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 2001 influenced a decrease of tourists in the United States. 2. The Costa Rica’s government encourages diversifying economy and promoting non-traditional business, which including exemption income tax and duty-free for import machinery and equipment. 3. There is a low entry and exit barriers in the production and export of live pupae. Economical factors 1. The information for both suppliers and buyer are “fragmented and little” in butterfly industry, so there is a broad space for people to expand butterfly market. 2. According to the Table 1, there was an increasing number of demands in butterfly pupa from Costa Rica between 2001 and 2006, which means the demand might still growth in future. 3. The price of butterfly pupae decreased 40 percent by the mid 1990s, companies had to reduced their price as well. Social factors 1. Promotions could attract more children and adults who have the hobby of collection. People can buy encased butterflies in kiosks to complete their collections (in Exhibit 4 and 5). 2. The butterflies’ suppliers came from low-income backgrounds. 20 percent of them were living in poverty, and 5.8% were extreme poverty (Exhibit 2). Technological factors 1. The butterfly in farm must be bred in a circumstance with specific climate in order to away from those predators, viruses, or weather conditions. 2. The leaf for food also needs to be checked carefully without viruses and parasites...

Words: 403 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Termite Metamorphosis

...A termite’s life may appear simple, but it is truly a complex web of life cycle stages, jobs, and possibilities. Starting from egg, termites go through metamorphosis, the changes that the majority of inspects experience throughout their life. Two predominately seen types of metamorphosis are holometabolous development and hemimetabolous development. These are more commonly referred to as complete and incomplete metamorphosis. Complete metamorphosis, occurring in ants, butterflies, and ladybugs, consist of four life cycle stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Incomplete metamorphosis is experienced by crickets, grasshoppers, and our little friends, termites. This variation of metamorphosis consists of three life cycle stages: egg, nymph, and adult. To further...

Words: 881 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Butterfly Life Cycles

...Butterflies in their adult stage can live from a week to nearly a year depending on the species. Many species have long larval life stages while others can remain dormant in their pupal or egg stages and thereby survive winters.[3] Butterflies may have one or more broods per year. The number of generations per year varies from temperate to tropical regions with Butterfly eggs are protected by a hard-ridged outer layer of shell, called the chorion. This is lined w Eggs are almost invariably laid on plants. Each species of butterfly has its own hostplant range and while some species of butterfly are restricted to just one species of plant, others use a range of plant species, often including members of a common family.[citation needed] The egg stage lasts a few weeks in most butterflies but eggs laid close to winter, especially in temperate regions, go through a diapause (resting) stage, and the hatching may take place only in spring. Other butterflies may lay their eggs in the spring and have them hatch in the summer. These butterflies are usually northern species, such as the Mourning Cloak (Camberwell Beauty) and the Large and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.[citation needed] Caterpillars Caterpillars of Junonia coenia. Butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, consume plant leaves and spend practically all of their time in search of food. Although most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few species such as Spalgis epius and Liphyra brassolis are entomophagous (insect...

Words: 1081 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Butterflies

...Inman-Roden Reading Assignment #1 Butterfly life history and temperature adaptations, dry open habitats select for increased fecundity and longevity Butterflies occupy many habitats from the tropics to the Artic with an extreme range of temperatures that affect their ability to deal with the environment. Body temperature is a crucial factor that affects reproductive performance. (Karlsson, Wiklund) Changes in temperature propose related performance curves can trigger a selective response in life history traits. This article explains the study of four types of butterflies and which environment they are most likely to reproduce in. They tested this idea by exploring how fecundity (fertility) and longevity are changed by different temperatures. They studied four types of saytrine butterflies, two were open landscape butterflies and two were classified as “woodland” butterflies. They tested to see which butterflies adapted to dry open landscapes as opposed to closed forest landscapes by keeping egg laying females in five different environments, temperatures ranging from 68 and 104 degrees. Two of the butterflies were tested in dry and hot environments and two were tested in shady environments. The open landscape group peaked at a higher temperature at 86 degrees and the group that was placed in a shady environment peaked at 77 degrees. The durability decreased with higher temperatures among all 4 butterflies. However the open landscape butterflies survived better in higher climates...

Words: 385 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Monarch Butterfly Research Paper

...How technique works: The group Monarch Watch creates a kit for tagging Monarch butterflies. Each kit includes a sheet with 25 tags, a premigration newsletter, datasheet and instructions. The tags are stickers made up of polypropylene sheets printed with waterproof ink. Each sticker contains a series of three letters and three numbers and each year the tags receive their own unique series of numbers. Listed on the tag along with the unique identification number, includes an email address and phone number. The tags are available to anyone who wishes to volunteer and assist with the process. The process is performed by many volunteers throughout the US and Canada. The fall migration tagging goes from late August thru October, with concentrated efforts in September and early October when the butterflies migrate south to Mexico. Using a net, the butterfly is captured and removed from the net by firmly grasping the thorax. Once the butterfly is taken out of the net the tag is placed on discal cell on the underside of the hindwing. The sticker is placed in this spot because it is closer to the center of lift and gravity and does not hinder the butterflies’ flight. This position also is less harmful to the butterflies. Once the butterflies are tagged, the volunteer records the date, location and any other information on the datasheet they received with their packet. The butterfly is then released to continue its long journey. The information from the tag is sent back to Monarch Watch...

Words: 669 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Reflection Paper on Field Notes from a Catastrophe

...is our job as the human race to do all that we can to take care of our planet and reduce the amount of global warming that humans are responsible for. This essay is significant because this is our world. Global warming may not be something that has a significant impact on our lives, but whether it is our grandchildren or great grandchildren, there will be consequences eventually for the human race and the other species that we share this planet with. While reading Kolbert’s book, there were a few chapters that stood out to me and got me thinking more in-depth about global warming in general. In chapter 4, Kolbert goes into details with a couple of scientists on the affects of global warming on a species of toad, several species of butterflies, and a species of mosquitoes. The golden toad was a bright, tangerine colored toad that could be found in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in north-central Costa Rica. This species of toad spends a majority of its life underground, only emerging above ground to reproduce. Once males mate with a female, she lays her eggs in small puddles that usually are no more than one inch deep. It only takes a few days for the tadpoles to emerge from the eggs, but it then requires four or five more weeks for metamorphosis to complete. During this whole period, the eggs and tadpoles are extremely dependant...

Words: 1052 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Butterfly

...Butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, consume plant leaves and spend practically all of their time in search of food. Although most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few species such as Spalgis epius and Liphyra brassolis are entomophagous (insect eating). Some larvae, especially those of the Lycaenidae, form mutual associations with ants. They communicate with the ants using vibrations that are transmitted through the substrate as well as using chemical signals.[4][5] The ants provide some degree of protection to these larvae and they in turn gather honeydew secretions. Caterpillars mature through a series of stages called instars. Near the end of each instar, the larva undergoes a process called apolysis, in which the cuticle, a tough outer layer made of a mixture of chitin and specialized proteins, is released from the softer epidermis beneath, and the epidermis begins to form a new cuticle beneath. At the end of each instar, the larva moults the old cuticle, and the new cuticle expands, before rapidly hardening and developing pigment. Development of butterfly wing patterns begins by the last larval instar. Butterfly caterpillars have three pairs of true legs from the thoracic segments and up to 6 pairs of prolegs arising from the abdominal segments. These prolegs have rings of tiny hooks called crochets that help them grip the substrate. Some caterpillars have the ability to inflate parts of their head to appear snake-like. Many have false eye-spots to enhance this...

Words: 356 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Lesson Plan in Science

...Life Cycle of a Butterfly Bamba, Phamella F. Name BEED 2-D Year and Section Second Semester S.Y 2013-2014 MRS. REMELIE R. ROBLES Instructor I. Objectives * Students will learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. * Identify the four different stages of a butterfly life cycle (from egg, caterpillar, pupa or cocoon, to a butterfly). II. Subject Matter Topic: Life Cycle of a Butterfly Materials: Real eggs of a butterfly, caterpillar, cocoon, a butterfly, pictures III. Procedure A. Motivation I’m a Hungry Caterpillar (tune of I’m a Little teapot) I’m hungry caterpillar Walking slowly Looking for something To fill my belly When I go to sleep I’ll make a little cocoon Pop! I’ll be a butterfly soon. B. Discussion I will show to the class the four different stages of a butterfly life cycle one by one, which are the eggs, caterpillar, cocoon and a butterfly and explain to them each stage. * The first stage is the eggs. This is where a girl butterfly lays eggs. She lays them on a leaf. * The second stage is the caterpillar. At this stage, the caterpillar eats all the time. It also grows really fast. * The third stage is the cocoon. The caterpillar makes a cocoon. It is mostly brown or green. This protects them. * The fourth stage is the butterfly. A butterfly comes out of the cocoon. It can now learn to fly. Butterflies are very colorful. * A butterfly finds a mate. When...

Words: 1067 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Monarch Butterfly

...According to National Geographic monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles each fall to their wintering site in central Mexico. In 2004, an estimated 550 million completed the winter migration, while in 2003 only 33 million arrived. Further, between 2012 and 2013, there was a 43.7 percent decrease in the area occupied by the butterflies in the winter sanctuaries, the decline has numerous reasons: climate change, deforestation, and habitat loss, agricultural use of pesticides and herbicides Monarch butterflies are known for the incredible mass migration that brings millions of them to California and Mexico each winter. North American monarchs are the only butterflies that make such a massive journey, the insects must begin this journey each fall ahead of cold weather, which will kill them if they tarry too long. Monarch butterflies reflect ecosystem health and biodiversity, they are pollinators which make them very important for plan reproduction, and ecosystem sustainability. During the journey north, monarchs produce four generations, and share habitat with small birds and animals which feed larger birds and animals. Monarch butterflies begin life as eggs and hatch as larvae that eat their eggshells and, subsequently, the milkweed plants on which they were placed, short after that the larvae become juicy, colorful caterpillars, then create a hard protective case around themselves as they enter the pupa stage. Although Monarch butterflies may well qualify as one of the most beautiful...

Words: 1543 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Hope of the Flowers

...A different sort of book For everyone Except for those who have given up completely (and even they might secretly enjoy it) HOPE FOR THE FLOWERS words and pictures by (1972) Trina Paulos HOPE FOR THE FLOWERS Trina Paulos A tale…. Partly about life Partly about revolution And lots about hope For adults and others (including caterpillars who can read) Many thanks To everyone All over the world Who has helped me Believe in the butterfly. This is the tale Of a caterpillar Who has trouble Becoming what He really is. It is like myself – like us. Love Trina To the “more” of love – the real revolution And my father who believed in it. CHAPTER 1 Once upon a time A tiny striped caterpillar Burst from the egg Which had been home For so long. “Hello world,” he said. “It sure is bright out here in the sun.” “I’m hungry,” he thought and straightaway began to eat the leaf he was born on. And he ate another… and another….and another. And got bigger…and bigger….and bigger…. Until one day he stopped Eating and thought, “There must be more to life that just eating and getting bigger. “It’s getting dull.” So Stripe crawled down From the friendly tree Which had shaded and fed him. He was seeking more. There were all sorts of new things to find. Grass and dirt and holes and tiny bugs – each fascinated him. But nothing satisfied him. When he came across some other crawlers like himself he was especially excited. But they were so busy eating They had...

Words: 3507 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Butterflies

...Butterflies are Great. According to Wikipedia- “Butterfly eggs are protected by a hard-ridged outer layer of shell, called the chorion. This is lined with a thin coating of wax which prevents the egg from drying out before the larva has had time to fully develop. Each egg contains a number of tiny funnel-shaped openings at one end, called micropyles; the purpose of these holes is to allow sperm to enter and fertilize the egg. Butterfly and moth eggs vary greatly in size between species, but they are all either spherical or ovate. Butterfly eggs are fixed to a leaf with a special glue which hardens rapidly. As it hardens it contracts, deforming the shape of the egg. This glue is easily seen surrounding the base of every egg forming a meniscus. The nature of the glue is unknown and is a suitable subject for research. The same glue is produced by a pupa to secure the setae of the cremaster. This glue is so hard that the silk pad, to which the setae are glued, cannot be separated. Eggs are usually laid on plants. Each species of butterfly has its own hostplant range and while some species of butterfly are restricted to just one species of plant, others use a range of plant species, often including members of a common family. The egg stage lasts a few weeks in most butterflies but eggs laid close to winter, especially in temperate regions, go through a diapause (resting) stage, and the hatching may take place only in spring. Other butterflies may lay their eggs in the spring and...

Words: 298 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Athrophaneura Semperi

...embrace emerging experience. I participate in discovery. I am a butterfly. I am not a butterfly collector. I want the experience of the butterfly.” -William Stafford With the rise of knowledge about endangered species and diminishing protected ecology, it is becoming essential to study and get involved with this very tragic trend in our environment. Butterflies are one of the many insects that require attention. Despite of their usefulness, conservation of butterflies in our country is seemingly neglected This research aims to focus in Atrophaneura semperi. A butterfly species, considered endemic in the Philippines. (backpackingphilippines.com/2008/10/lep…) Not only has my huge interest in butterflies led me to pursuing this topic but also a certain curiosity about this specific species and how widely spread it is in the Philippines and all over the world. I would like to discuss its importance, the reproductive cycle, and the protection programs offered for their specific case, as I go through the next chapters of this study. Data generated could be used for species monitoring, biogeography, conservation program and creation of database information of butterflies in the Philippines as economic development and climate change progresses. II. TAXONOMY AND NOMENCLATURE Some researchers theorize that butterflies most likely originated in the Cretaceous period when the continents...

Words: 3147 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Raft Task Cards - Edu 225

...(Life Cycle of a Butterfly) Objective: You will be able to describe the process a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. Student Role: A news reporter of a science television station Audience: Your favorite television station viewers Format: An informative newscast report Topic: Have you ever wondered what a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly? Directions: 1. Visit The Children’s Butterfly Site to learn more about the butterfly life cycle. 2. Use a storyboard worksheet to map out your script. 3. Type your script so it is easy to read. 4. Practice reading your script aloud until you feel you can read it fluently and with expression. 5. Create a video at Screencast-O-Matic. 6. Read and record your script as a professional news reporter. Resources: Websites to visit: The Children’s Butterfly Site http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle Enchanted Learning : All About Butteflies http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/lifecycle/ Learn About Nature theButterflySite.com http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml The Life Cycle of a Butterfly http://www.tooter4kids.com/LifeCycle/Butterfly_Life_Cycle.htm The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Its Life Cycle http://education.nationalgeographic.org/activity/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-and-the-butterfly-life-cycle/ Assessment: Prepare a 3-5-minute script for a newscast segment to explain how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Explain the steps...

Words: 763 - Pages: 4