Nipple Bombs and Needlepoint: Revolution as Women's Work

Although all of the characters in Alvarez’s novel live under the shadow of the same dictator, it is clear that men and women exist in two separate worlds. With a few exceptions, the men of the novel are occupied with farming, money, and power, while the women are concerned with housework andmotherhood. Because we live in a patriarchal society, we tend to overlook the importance of domestic work (women's work), and believe that in order to have any kind of influencing/political power, women have to give up their roles as mothers and caretakers and become more like men. However, even though we tend to think of war as a male occupation, the revolution depicted in Alvarez's novel is distinctly feminine.

In the scene where Patria narrates the founding of the Fourteenth of June Movement, Alvarez blends images of revolution and war with images of domesticity, suggesting that the mission of the movement is to start an “internal revolution” that is not just inside of the country, but inside of the home as well (167). For example, she says that the "bombs were made" on the same table where “you could still see the egg stains from [Patria’s] family’s breakfast” (167). The juxtaposition of the domestic scene of a family eating eggs with with the making of bombs indicates a similarity between the actions; just as Patria works to keep her family fed, the Fourteenth of June Movement is working to sustain a revolution. 

Needlepoint, despite its intricacy, is often undervalued 

Additionally, instead of being a hindrance, Maria Teresa “feminine” traits aide in her ability to contribute to the movement. Patria is shocked to find that “Maria Teresa, so handy with her needlepoint,” is helping in the process of making bombs, “using tweezers and little scissors to twist the fine wires together” (167). Maria Teresa's training in needlepoint—women’s work that is typically undervalued or dismissed as “decorative” and essentially useless—has actually provided her with the precision and the skills required for the delicate operation of making explosives. Notably, the pipe bombs are known as “nipples,”  indicating the connection between resistance to Trujillo's regime and women's bodies. 

What is the role of women in the movement against Trujillo? Does it differ from the role of men?

Where else in the novel does Alverez link femininity to resistance?