Dede had created a mental prison-like institution, a place of sanction, for her to inhabit and be comfortable with things she couldn't change. It's shown throughout each chapter of her narration. She even alluded to the idea of her family's history and their memory of being trapped inside of her. She reiterates her captivity by saying "she is setting up her life as if it were an exhibit labeled for those who can read: THE SISTER WHO SURVIVED. "(pg. 5) An exhibit by definition means an encased display, therefore Dede is basically stating how she is permanently trapped and showcased by the hardening history of her sisters' deaths.

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             Throughout the novel, Dede matures and grows mentally and she finds her voice more and more as each chapter narration progresses and she and her family overcome each struggle that they experience. When reading Dede's narration, the reader will come to notice that Dede's narration is written in third person. Each chapter speaks of pain and sadness until the reader reaches the epilogue. In the epilogue, the reader is finally introduced and ushered into the mind of Dede's character. Throughout the novel the reader probably had built or empathized with the other three sisters due to their highly personal and individual personalities displayed in each of their narrations, but they found it extremely difficult to connect to Dede because of her impersonal recall of her family's history. One can conclude that Alvarez employs this technique of narration to show .

             how Dede was forced to harden and distance herself from the taunting memories of her sisters. Her mental distancing continues as she discusses her sisters. She never mentions herself as a Mariposa, or a Mirabal even. She does not address herself with her sisters. Here the reader can see Dede retreating back into isolation and imprisonment away from the rest of her family. She traps herself and basically narrates that she does not consider herself a Mirabal.