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In The Time Of The Butterflies And Empress Orchid

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In a metaphorical sense, Stanley Kunitz depicts human experiences through the piece “The Layers” as all unfolding along the same constraints while in a constant struggle against mankind’s free will. That being said, the layers discussed in the verse above could be seen as the passage of time, each era building upon those that came before it. This linear motion of time continues infinitely, yet is paralleled by the rise and fall of empires, nations, and peoples across the globe. Both the novel In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, and Empress Orchid by Anchee Min each highlight their own eras, each its own layer. Although centuries apart, these two works coincide in the perspectives taken on their respective time period through the …show more content…

In both novels each woman had a set way of perceiving the world, regardless of the fact they had not yet encountered hardships based upon the gender norms of her society, either imperial China or dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Both Patria and Nuharoo were women, who after being exposed to the gender bias of both their cultures, took on roles that fit within those parameters in hopes of leading fulfilling lives as mothers and wives. Patria was “coming out, hands first, as if reaching up for something…[her] mind, [her] heart, [her] soul in the clouds. It took some doing and undoing to bring [her] down to earth” (Alvarez 44). In this sense Patria turned to religion and her faith to guide her in her journey towards a good life and in turn following the traditional roles laid out for her. She was willing to be as selfless as possible in order to ensure a place in heaven and a good connotation to her name. This same saint-like trait corresponds to that of Nuharoo who “removed her necklace and bracelets and took down her hairpins” (Min 135). She was willing to give up some of her most prized possessions in order to help pay for the growing damage caused by mass famine. This action perfectly correspond with the notion that women must do

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