Preview

An Excerpt From 'Caterpillar To Butterfly'

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
574 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
An Excerpt From 'Caterpillar To Butterfly'
Caterpillar To Butterfly “ Why do you act like this?” Ming asked Khumba. “Like what?” he replied. “You’re always acting rude and bringing up someone’s flaws.” Ming stated. “I don’t do that. Even if I did, why do you care?” he responded with a disgusted facial expression. “I don’t, but you should. If you continue to treat people like this it’s going to be hard to make new friends. You might even lose the few you have now.” Ming suggested. “Whatever!”Khumba said, slamming his locker aggressively. Khumba couldn’t focus for the rest of the day. All he could think about was the words that Ming used to describe him. He didn’t want to be that way, and he was already that way, he wanted to change. He didn’t know how he was going to change, but he was determined to. The next day, in science class, there was a group activity and everyone was excited-well except for …show more content…
“What is bothering you?” Mr.Cooke asked Khumba, since it was obvious that he was perturbed. Khumba explained to Mr.Cooke how his friend brought his attention to his bad habits. “Do you want to change?” Mr.Cooke.”Of course, but it has very hard for me.” Khumba replied. “Well… changing takes a lot of effort and time. It may seem like your attitude is not improving, but those close to you will see.” Mr.Cooke elaborated. “Why are you willing to change?” Khumba lowered his chin. “I want friends. I want people to like me, and I know everyone isn’t going to like me. I need to work on myself. I can’t expect for people to like me, when I don’t like myself.” Mr.Cooke could tell that Khumba really wanted to try to be a better person. “I can help you, but this more ofs a mindset goal. You’re going to have to work at this by yourself, even when I’m not around. It’s not an on and off thing. Please be committed to change, or all this work will be for nothing.” Mr.Cooke implied. “Okay, when do we begin?” Khumba asked, hoping it wouldn’t take as Mr.Cooke said.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the Time of the Butterflies is an award-winning book written by Julia Alvaraz, a famous Latina writer. This is the story of the four Mirabal sisters during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The sisters make a political commitment to overthrow the Trujillo regime. Throughout the book you can see the family being prosecuted, humiliated, tortured and imprisoned, all for going against the government in secrecy. When they are caught they are all put in danger. This story is set in both the present (1994) and the past (1943) by the perspective of Dedé, the only surviving Mirabal sister. The book starts off in “present” day 1994. Dedé is asked to speak about the tragic tale…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies is a work of historical fiction set in the Dominican Republic during the oppressive regime of Rafael Trujillo. The four Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dede, Minerva and Maria Teresa pass through different versions of themselves to stop the reign of this tyrannical dictator. The theme of the courage to stand up to tyranny is most exemplified through Minerva because she discovers herself and becomes consistent with her beliefs throughout the resistence of the regime.…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In, In the Time of the Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez shows that ordinary lives can lead to heroic action. This fascinating story that shows the true story about the love between four sisters, and their families. Julia tells all in her heroic story through one of the Mirabal sisters, Maria. Maria Teresa Mirabal the youngest of the sisters was very passionate about what she believed in. Maria always looked up to her older sister Minerva and decided to join her sisters in their political activities.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Julia Alvarez was born in the U.S., but raised in the Dominican Republic. She was raised in a patriarchal family, meaning the men worked while the women stayed home and cooked, cleaned, and took care of the children. She lived in the Dominican Republic until age ten when she was forced to flee to the U.S. for safety from the shrewd Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo. Alvarez created characters and conflicts in her books, such as In the Time of the Butterflies, based on her family and her cultural experiences.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Although it is a novel of fiction, the historical facts that are mentioned in the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez, come alive through the lens of four courageous sisters pushing reformations for all. Living as a prosperous farming family in the city of Ojo de Agua in the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1960, the Mirabal family was privileged enough to have four strong-headed daughters named Maria Theresa, Minerva, Patria, and Dede. The sisters were lucky enough to be given an excellent education from attending the Colegio de Inmaculada Concepcion, or the school…

    • 2620 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pg. 20: I lifted the covers, and for a moment, I couldn’t make sense of the dark stains on the bottom sheet. Then I brought up my hand from checking myself. Sure enough, my complications had started.…

    • 1791 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The main point of Julia Alvarez's "In the Time of the Butterflies" is to show individual personality in each character. This book shows that the people involved in the revolution led personal lives and had feelings just like those of us who read about them. By telling about the characters' families and personal issues, Alvarez draws her readers into the book and makes them feel for each character. Something that puzzled me was why the Mirabal sisters refused to leave prison. Minerva said that they had to set a good example and that accepting a pardon would mean that they thought they had something to be pardoned for. It seems to me that Minerva had too much pride. They should have accepted the pardon for the sake of their children and their mother. Did they really want their children to grow up without them? I see that they were trying to prove a point, but it also seems that they were working against themselves at the same time. They could not further the revolution while they were sitting in jail. I also wondered why Trujillo all of the sudden started killing people left and right. I concluded that he was desperate because he knew he was not going to have that much power for very long. He knew he was in trouble because the OAS Peace Committee came so he figured he might as well kill people while he still can. I don't understand why Mate did not tell the OAS Peace Committee what happened at La 40. She said she did not want to endanger Santiclo. That is understandable, but it seems that there was a very slim possibility that he would get in trouble. She should have been thinking of her own good as well as her fellow prisoners'. It was interesting how much the Mirabal sisters' true personalities came out while they were in prison. Mate was weak. She had a lot of breakdowns and relied on Minerva for support. Minerva always had to be the strong one, but even she had a weak side. That began to show during their last weeks in prison. She admitted to herself…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Julia Alvarez’s “In The Time of the Butterflies”, the four Mirabal sisters, Minerva, Maria Teresa, Patria, and Dedé, struggle with accepting principles such as courage, freedom, andfear. As the sisters began to become symbols for freedom during a revolution, each must discover what these concepts mean to them and how to apply them in their fight against a dictatorship. When Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic, sends three of the Mirabal sisters to prison in an attempt to silence their rebellion, Maria Teresa begins to develop a deeper understanding of her role alongside her sisters in the battle against Trujillo, as well as concepts of courage and bravery. In prison, Maria Teresa feels inspired and understands the true feeling of…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the Time of Butterflies

    • 3387 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Sacrifice – The central theme of this book is sacrifice; sacrificing oneself for the greater good, for others, and for one’s country. Throughout the entire novel the Mirabal sisters are exemplars of this as they sacrifice of their time, energy, and hearts to help not only the ones they love, but the many strangers about them who are suffering political injustice and violence. Minerva, who becomes a political icon…

    • 3387 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    1. Significance of the title: In In The Time Of The Butterflies, the Mirabal sisters referred to themselves as las mariposas, which translates to the butterflies in spanish. This book was written about the true story of the Mirabal sisters before their pass. For that reason, Alvarez wrote how it was in the time of the sisters’ leadership.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Julia Alvarez’s “In The Time of the Butterflies”, the four Mirabal sisters, Minerva, Maria Teresa, Patria, and Dedé, struggle to accept the principles of courage, freedom, and fear during a time of political turmoil. As the sisters began to become symbols of hope amidst a revolution, each must discover how to define freedom and courage, as well as how to apply these concepts in their fight against an oppressive regime. Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic, hoping to silence their rebellion, sends three of the Mirabal sisters to prison. During this time, Maria Teresa beings to develop a deeper awareness of her role alongside her sisters in the battle against Trujillo, as well as further understanding of concepts such as determination and bravery. In prison, Maria Teresa feels inspired as she begins to grasp the true feeling of courage while she comprehends the impact her sister, Minerva, has made on the fellow prisoners watching as they call out, “¡Viva la Mariposa!” (238) as the guards drag Minerva away after she protests their commands.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. All the sisters lose their innocence pretty early into the novel. Minerva was the first to learn about the real world around her. While at boarding school with Patria and Maria Teresa, she meets a girl named Sinita who tells her the truth about Trujillo. Minerva realizes that her country isn’t as she thought it was. Patria realizes the same thing while out on a retreat in the mountains. She witnesses a young man about the age of Noris, get gunned down. That’s when she realizes how bad the Dominican Republic is getting because of Trujillo. Maria Teresa was very immature throughout the novel but once the girls were taken to prison, she had really become aware of the trouble she had gotten herself into. Dede loses her innocence the same way Maria Teresa does. When the girls were arrested, she was forced to take care of the children and be strong for the rest of her family.…

    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This particular event happened during lunch time. Some of my classmates had finished eating, and one in particular, Nick, had decided to play with some of his friends around a tree stump. Nick, being the troublemaker that he was, decided to mess around with the tree stump itself. He kicked it, and his buddies laughed. They all started to mess around with it.…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dedė’s life was always affected by the dictatorship of Trujillo. Even though she was not part of the regime, she still suffered. Dedė’s martyrdom was to be alive without her sisters. All the things she has sacrificed has made her a heroine today.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For decades, the Dominican Republic was ruled under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. His harsh ways destroyed the chance for freedom, equality, education, and happiness for the citizens. In the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, the Mirabal sisters, Patria, Minerva, Dede, and Maria Teresa, politically take a stand in hope to fight for their country. They were Las Mariposas, “the butterflies,” the strong sisters of the face of rebellion and leadership fighting against the moths, the political army of Trujillo. Butterflies and moths, creatures alike, yet different in significance, illuminate the different opposing sides that underline the struggle of the Dominican Republic.…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays