“She is plucking the bird of paradise from its dead branches, bending around the plant every time she hears a car.” This is the opening line of Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies in her book; Alvarez addresses many themes throughout the book, from family, to education, to democracy. However, among these themes there is one that is the most important, and which also concerns the modern world, is that of women's rights. This aspect is brought up again and again in the plot, both in terms of education and polygamy. As Minerva's father says, "Trujillo had many girlfriends, placed in large, elegant homes." It was not unusual for wealthy men to have multiple wives and girlfriends during this time period and Trujillo was a classic example of this. This problem persists to this day, which only increases gender roles and the disparity between men and women. The Mirabal sisters, with their battle against the government, challenged not only tyranny but also the social constructions that still prevail today. Indeed, Alvarez demonstrates the need to train or educate women, both in the mid-1900s and today. The sister's own mother, for example, "can't even read", underlining the low literacy rate of women in Latin America. But the Mirabal sisters are expected to avoid this and hopefully raise a new generation of women who believe they can be educated and live meaningful lives. As each of the Mirabal sisters earns a bachelor's degree; which for a woman in that period is an unusual achievement. Such challenges tend to be common today, as in many third world countries women have fewer resources for sufficient education than men. Although Alvarez explores many themes in The Time of Butterflies, the theme of women's rights is the most compelling and the most specific to today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Alvarez's views on women's rights can also be seen in her various interviews and articles that show her definitive ideas on women's development, particularly in third world countries such as Latin America. Colón presents a comprehensive interview with Alvarez and discusses with Alvarez multiple perspectives on the complex issue of women's rights in the essay "Julia Alvarez: Importance for Women in a Male-Driven Culture" by Devina Colón. Lack of education will have a detrimental effect, for both men and women, on the well-being of a country for current and future generations. This is why Alvarez works hard to highlight the value of education for all, regardless of gender. Throughout the interview Alvarez talks about these points of view, while In Time of the Butterflies shows similar points of view. Alvarez, for example, states throughout the interview with Devina Colón that in Trujillo's law reading was considered "subversive" while he defined you as a "disruptor". These references often highlight Alvarez's ideas throughout the book. In “The Time of the Butterflies,” Alvarez suggests that most people in the Dominican Republic viewed politics as 'women should not be active' in the Dominican Republic in the mid-1900s. Alvarez points out, while stating that women should not participate to politics, that women should be educated or literate, to shed light and give them a voice on a very popular opinion among people living in the Dominican Republic. These two roots of Julia Alvarez's lyrics reveal one of the central themes of women's rights In Time of the Butterflies. He highlights the same concerns in his as wellinterview with Devina Colón, as well as Alvarez highlights the importance of women's rights in her book. Furthermore, Alvarez explained in his interview that only a small part of education is allowed to women and has been "manipulated by the Trujillo system". Trujillo would do anything to make sure no one took his throne, one of which was to reduce schooling and exploit the education system. Trujillo managed to brainwash the minds of an entire country using manipulation or outright lies, and this started in school at an early age. Trujillo made it even more difficult for women to enter college and live alone in a country where women's education was already limited and minimized. In the Dominican Republic women were supposed to 'follow their spouses'. Through his Moment with Devin Colon and In the Time of Butterflies, Alverez seeks to combat the gender gap in Latin American countries. Because when women joined the battle against Trujillo, he saw holes in his power. Through Alvarez's history and articles on women's rights; it is prevalent that women have the opportunity to do anything, regardless of the circumstances in which they live. The challenges encountered in other countries and around the world seem to blind you to a highly industrialized country like the United States and especially a very metropolitan area like Austin. While we don't have these problems in the United States, it's important to recognize these challenges that countless people around the world face. After reading The Time of Butterflies, the question arises as to whether or not the problems that existed in the Dominican Republic in the mid-1900s remain. Beatrice Edwards addresses this very question in the article “Women, work and democracy”. Even now, Latin American countries are facing these problems. Male hegemony and dominance are particularly prevalent in third world countries such as those in Latin America. Women have far fewer rights in countries like these and are therefore limited to very few resources. According to Edwards, "the superiority of man is an important cultural aspect" in Latin American society. Male superiority still exists as a problem today. Since male dominance in the United States and especially in Austin is not that widespread, most people say there is none. However, in many third world countries, particularly in Latin America, women are consistently marginalized, which gives them fewer resources and severely undermines a country's prosperity and growth. This point is made abundantly clear by Julia Alvarez in her book. One example is a rather misogynistic woman who is called "Senator's Wife" by one of the book's main antagonists. By highlighting the chauvinism of the regime's central tyrant, Rafael Trujillo, Alvarez will illuminate the tremendous injustice faced by women in the mid-1900s Dominican Republic. Furthermore, even today the policy in favor of women is very restrictive. The definition of “democracy is limited” to women, as Edwards describes. Politics and independence are commonly considered exclusively male in most Latin American societies. Women are generally limited to family and family life, while men earn money and work in politics. As a result, in most of these countries women generally do not have the right to vote and do not have many of the benefits of democracy. This notion is also shown in the novel by Alvarez, one of the Mirabal sisters, who although not rebellious, said she found political affairs "as something for men". This vision of female participation in society was shared in this period and still today by most people..