Life in the Dominican was tough during the 20^th century. There was a ton of violence and secrecy causing no one to feel safe. At one point during the novel Dede tells us of the time where she slammed her butterfly orchid in the car door. Dede shut the car door so hard that she relates it to a gunshot. “Any Dominican of a certain generation would have jumped at that gunshot sound.” The car door slamming so loud scarring Dede just shows us, the reader, how unsafe she felt living in the Dominican. Now a days if we slam a car door we think nothing of it but hearing how nervous Dede got just because she shut her car door hard shows us how nervous and anxious everyone must have been in that society at that time.  I can’t imagine what it would be like consistently living so nervous and constantly watching your back, I feel like that is no way to live.