Vanessa Marquez
SPAN 290
Professor Nahon
5 May 2017
Reflection Paper: In the Time of the Butterflies
From 1930-1961 the Dominican Republic suffered through the tyranny of dictator Rafael
Trujillo, a politician and soldier who also served as president for eight years. During his years in
power, many considered it to be one of the bloodiest eras ever in the Americas. It was estimated
that during his reign he was responsible for more than 50,000 deaths. In these times, it was a
social norm for women to be oppressed and were only seen to be wives and mothers. The
Mirabal sisters wanted to do more than just become housewives. They wanted to make a
