Abstract
Dictator Rafael Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic for over 30 years. He made his way to the top by destroying anyone that got in his way. This abuse of power continued throughout his reign as dictator. In the novel In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alvarez gives numerous examples that express how Dictator Trujillo abused his power. Trujillo took away women’s rights , took away prisoner’s rights, and took away freedom of speech in all the citizens of the D.R. This evidence proves that Trujillo was a bad man and abused his position of authority.
Abuse of Power from dictator Rafael Trujillo the Novel In the Time of Butterflies
The Dominican Republic of the mid 1950’s reflected on all horrible events a dictator . can bring. Dictator Rafael Trujillo worked his way up and caused his people great fear. Lord Acton once said, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Trujillo’s abuse of power caused him to become a corrupt man. In the novel In the Time of Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez, Trujillo’s abuse of power created loss of many substantial rights for the people of the Dominican Republic including loss of freedom of speech, loss of women rights, and loss of prisoner’s rights which proved that Trujillo was a bad man. During Trujillo’s dictatorship years he would take away women’s rights in such a harsh way in the Dominican Republic. Initially, Alvarez states In The Time of the Butterflies (2010)“Everyone knows his real job is rounding up pretty girls for El Jefe to try out,” (p.94) There’s a guy that people call the secretary of state in the Dominican Republic but most people actually know that his job is for Trujillo to find girls that he can take advantage of. Trujillo abuses his power by taking advantage of girls and thus changing their futures forever, violating women’s rights. Furthermore,
References: Alvarez, J (2010). In the time of the butterflies. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, ALGONQUIN BOOKS OF CHAPEL HILL