The Mirabal Sisters Character Analysis

Once out of prison, Minerva, Patria, and Maria Teresa drove across a mountain pass to visit their husbands in prison, but they are ambushed and murdered under the request of Trujillo. Their deaths were stage to look like a car accident and Dedé was forced to live on and tell the world of how Trujillo destroyed their

Minerva was so passionate about being a revolutionary she was willing to leave her son with her sister to continue and pursue what it is that she wanted. The sisters being revolutionaries changed a lot for them, but they did whatever it took it was a passion for them. The girls constantly did what they needed to they were determined and

(Alvarez 259). Prison had torn everyone apart and had forced them to fight for their survival. Reflecting back on this has caused Minerva pain but she doesn’t want to show weakness when everyone is counting on her as the face of the revolution. These pressures on her cause her to break down mentally while still trying to give “everyone a bright smile” and be the one that they look up to.

Minerva is making a sacrifice by giving up her son to her sister; Patria isn 't ready to do so, but expresses her support for her sister 's movement. Her ominous words are foreshadowing. It lets the reader know that things are intense and that they are only going to require even more sacrifice from the characters. She is going to be traveling a lot on the road, and coming back weekly for her revolutionary activities. Patria, ever the mother, at first doesn 't understand how anyone could give up their child, because the time and sacrifice it takes to raise and take care of one is already enough.

She is remembered as a voice for the descamisados (the poor workers; “shirt less ones”), a figurehead for women’s rights, and an advocate for the unions and the poor. She was known as “Evita” by the people and earned the title of “Spiritual Leader of the Nation” by Argentina’s Congress before her early death at 33 years old in 1952. Although Eva received great criticism for being a woman outside of

As a reader just being introduced to the character Patria with this quote you can clearly tell Julia Alvarez’s intent on how we look at Patria. The author intends to show and describe the character as a

And for weeks afterwards, she avoided her sisters”(177). Choosing to not join the revolution made Dedé feel weak, but ultimately this decision is what saved her life. By following her instincts, comparatively to how butterflies follow their inner compass, she was able to be the lone surviving Mirabal sister. After her sisters deaths she became more involved in the movement and she grew braver. Dedé is a butterfly because she followed her instincts, but was able to be brave when the time

Focusing on Patria, after listening to advice about joining the revolution she has made her final conclusions about what she wanted to do about the situation. Julia Alvarez uses Patria's faith in God as an illustration of courage. Patria is a very religious person. She used her faith in God to help her get through difficult situations demonstrating moral, physical, and emotional courage in time of danger.

Virgilio Morales, known as Lio, was a young revolutionary who fought against Trujillo. He influenced Minerva to demand change for Republic Dominica. Lio Inspired Minerva to fight against Trujillo’s dictatorial government. He encourages her to involved in the revolution, which changed Minerva’s lifestyle: “When I met Lio, it was as if I woke up. The givens, all I’d been so many covers when you sit up in the bed” (86).

Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies is a work of historical fiction set in the Dominican Republic that focuses on the four Mirabal sisters who bond together to rebel against the corrupt leader of their country, Rafael Trujillo. The four Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa form closer relationships with each other as they figure out a way to bring down the tyranny of Rafael Trujillo. Although they have a mutual goal, each of the Mirabal sisters has different feelings and thoughts throughout this time period. The theme of coming-of-age and identify is best exemplified through the character of María Teresa, known as Mate, through the ways she matures throughout the novel and becomes her own person who stands up for what she believes in.

Trujillo gets worried when he learns about the 14th of June Movement because he knows that the goal of the movement is to overthrow or kill him. One by one, he starts jailing members of the movement, as well as ransacking or destroying their homes. At Patria’s house, Trujillo has the SIM tear “...the house apart, hauling away the doors, windows, the priceless mahogany beams of Pedrito’s old family rancho” (Alvarez 192). The way that he messes with those involved in the movement is cruel. After having their homes ransacked, Trujillo jails only the Mirabal husbands, which makes the sisters think they are safe.

Lola takes advantage of her deteriorating mother whose illness represents the declining hold of the norms over Lola. Since her mom “will have trouble lifting her arms over her head for the rest of her life,” Lola is no longer afraid of the “hitting” and grabbing “by the throat” (415,419). As a child of a “Old World Dominican Mother” Lola must be surrounded by traditional values and beliefs that she does not want to claim, so “as soon as she became sick” Lola says, “I saw my chance and I’m not going to pretend or apologize; I saw my chance and I eventually took it” (416). When taking the opportunity to distinguish herself from the typical “Dominican daughter” or ‘Dominican slave,” she takes a cultural norm like long hair and decides to impulsively change it (416). Lola enjoyed the “feeling in [her] blood, the rattle” that she got when she told Karen to “cut my hair” (418).

Alvarez and her family have a lot of trauma considering there lives in the dominican republic and living under the dictator,through it all alvarez's parents raised a daughter who would share their story in a fashionable matter that told the story how it was.

The Mirabal sisters, also known as La Mariposas, have been known throughout the Dominican Republic for participating in a major revolution against their unjust ruler, Rafael Trujillo. After years of the sisters’ hard-work, along with the others who were involved in the revolution, their work paid off when Trujillo's regime ended with his assassination. However, in order for them to have taken part in this act against Trujillo, the Mirabal sisters had to sacrifice several things from their lives, most importantly, their freedom and their relationship with their family. Many people believe that these sacrifices were not necessary because the sisters didn’t need to go to the extent where the end result would be them orphaning their children. Nonetheless,

Although due to being a poor, uneducated woman whom is treated like an object, Mayella is not a powerful character. For 19 years of Mayella’s life she has been