In the Time of the Butterflies Comprehension Questions & Reading Journal
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In the Time of the Butterflies has 12 chapters · 325 pages
It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths as accidental.
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Inside the journal: 12 chapter pages, one question each · 3 example answers · a cover for your reader’s name
Written for this book Questions about this story, good after any chapter.
What have you learned so far about life in the Dominican Republic under Trujillo? Explain how this setting affects the Mirabal family.See all 12 questions ↓
About the book
It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths as accidental. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictatorship. It doesn’t have to. Everybody knows of Las Mariposas―“The Butterflies.”.
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In the Time of the Butterflies questions by chapter
We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. One question per chapter, across all 12 chapters, and every one is editable before you print. The example answers under 3 of the chapters are the ones printed at the front of the booklet.
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Chapter 1
What have you learned so far about life in the Dominican Republic under Trujillo? Explain how this setting affects the Mirabal family.
Example answer: I have learned that Trujillo has a lot of power over people's lives. People have to be careful about criticizing him because it can put them in danger. This helps me understand why the Mirabal family worries about speaking openly. Their choices are harder because even saying what they believe can be risky.
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Chapter 2
Based on what you have read, what challenge might one of the Mirabal sisters face next? Use a clue from the story to explain your prediction.
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Chapter 3
Choose a Mirabal sister you have learned about so far. What do her words or actions show about her personality?
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Chapter 4
Find a word or phrase in your latest chapter that was new or interesting to you. What do you think it means, and how do the nearby sentences help you understand it?
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Chapter 5
Where have you noticed courage in the story so far? Explain whether you think being brave means having no fear or acting even when you are afraid.
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Chapter 6
Which choice made by a character in your latest chapter do you agree or disagree with? Explain your view and what you might have done.
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Chapter 7
Who tells the part of the story you just read? How does hearing that person's thoughts help you understand the Mirabal family?
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Chapter 8
How have family ties shaped a character's actions in what you have read so far? Describe an example involving the Mirabal family.
Example answer: I notice that Dedé's memories are closely tied to her sisters. When she shares their story with the interviewer, she helps someone outside the family understand them. I think remembering them is an important responsibility for her. This shows me that family ties can shape what a person chooses to share with others.
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Chapter 9
What have you learned so far about Trujillo's power? Explain how it affects what people feel safe saying or doing.
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Chapter 10
Thinking about the title, In the Time of the Butterflies, what might a butterfly stand for in the story so far? Connect your idea to a character or detail you have read about.
Example answer: I think a butterfly might stand for freedom. A butterfly can fly where it wants, but the Mirabal sisters live under a ruler who limits people's choices. That difference makes the title interesting to me. It makes me wonder how the sisters will try to gain more freedom.
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Chapter 11
Choose one word that describes the mood of your latest chapter, such as hopeful, tense, or sad. Which details helped create that mood?
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Chapter 12
What question would you most like the next part of the story to answer about the Mirabal sisters? Explain why that question matters to your understanding of the story.
Discussion questions for after In the Time of the Butterflies
Bigger questions for when the book is finished, each printed on its own ruled page at the end of the booklet.
- Choose one Mirabal sister and explain how your understanding of her changed from the beginning of the book to the end. What did her choices, relationships, and challenges reveal about her? Use examples from different parts of the story.
- What do you think Julia Alvarez wants readers to understand about courage and freedom through the Mirabal family's story? Discuss examples from across the book, and explain how the sisters' different voices help communicate that message.
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How to use this In the Time of the Butterflies reading journal
At home, as a discussion guide
After each chapter your reader writes a few lines on that chapter’s question. Read the answer together at bedtime: it shows what they understood and gives you something real to talk about, without a quiz.
In class, as a novel study
Print a class set (booklets fold from plain letter paper) and use one question per chapter as the reading-response or literature-circle prompt. The example answers at the front show what a full answer looks like.
Homeschool
One booklet covers the whole book, 12 chapters, so it doubles as the reading log for In the Time of the Butterflies. Reword any question before printing to match your reader.
Printing
The booklet PDF prints on ordinary 8.5 × 11 paper: print double-sided (flip on the short edge) at 100%, fold the stack in half and staple on the fold. There is also a one-page-per-sheet PDF and A5 binder pages.
Where the questions come from
Questions about this story, good after any chapter. We know the book, its characters, setting and story, but not what happens in each chapter. So every question is written for this book, and any of them works wherever your reader has just stopped. The questions were drafted with AI from what is known about the book and checked before publishing; every one is editable before you print.
Browse: All books by Julia Alvarez