Vocabulary in In the Time of the Butterflies

Remained alive after others around you have died, often carrying the burden of being the only one left to remember and speak for those who are gone.

A container or carrier — here used to describe the human body as something that holds and carries the Holy Spirit, a sacred presence.

Planned or laid out in advance, with every step already decided, as if drawn on a map so there is no uncertainty about where you are going.

A religious community where women called nuns live, pray, and dedicate their lives to God, cut off from ordinary society.

Unable to see the truth about something — here, unaware of the real, dangerous nature of Trujillo because of propaganda and social pressure.

A government that rules by force and control rather than free choice, especially one that punishes or kills people who oppose it.

A party or celebration — in this novel, specifically the lavish, obligatory social events hosted by Trujillo that powerful families were expected to attend as a show of loyalty.

A trusted person — or, as used here, a trusted object like a diary — to whom you tell your most private thoughts and secrets.

Written or physical material that can be used against someone in a legal or political investigation to prove they did something.

Someone who has an inborn talent for something and takes to it easily without needing much instruction.

A small, secret group of people working together to overthrow a government, organized so that members know as little as possible about other groups to protect everyone if someone is caught.

Operating in secret and outside the law, used to describe a resistance movement that hides its activities from a repressive government.

A strap used to restrain an animal — here used in a comparison to describe a freedom that is still tightly limited and controlled.

A visiting room in a prison or convent where inmates are allowed to speak with family members or others, usually under supervision.

Killed because of one's beliefs or political resistance, and afterward honored and remembered as a hero or saint by those who share those beliefs.

A system of government in which one person holds absolute power and uses force, fear, and secret police to silence anyone who disagrees.

A period of withdrawal from everyday life, usually to a quiet place, for prayer, reflection, and spiritual renewal — here organized by a church group.

A surprise attack by people who have been hiding and waiting, carried out against someone who does not know the danger is coming.

A place treated as sacred because of its connection to someone who has died or is deeply honored, often visited by people who want to pay their respects.

The state of being locked up in a prison, held against your will by authorities as punishment or to silence political opposition.

A person who lacks the courage to do what is right or necessary, especially when facing danger or a difficult moral choice.

Acting as a substitute or replacement for someone else — here describing Dedé raising her sisters' children as if she were their own mother.

The deliberate killing of a political leader or important public figure, usually for political reasons.

Serious and immediate danger, especially the kind that threatens your life or freedom.

Organized, often secret opposition to a ruling power, especially a violent or oppressive government, carried out by ordinary people willing to risk their lives.