The Mirabal Sisters

Words: 1104
Pages: 5

In the time of the butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a novel that exposes the horrifying rule of Rafael Trujillo over the Dominican Republic in the 1930’s. It expresses the life of the Mirabal sisters who played a crucial role in the revolution against Trujillo during his reign and ultimately symbolizes the sacrifice in doing what is right. The Mirabal sisters gave their life to the revolution and shortly after their assassination in 1960, Trujillo himself was assassinated and the Dominican Republic was free from the terrible grasp of a dictator. The impact of the Mirabal sisters is still recognized throughout the Dominican Republic today. Most people saw the sisters a symbol of the revolution, they were the butterflies, they were heroes, but …show more content…
Maria Teresa rights in her diary that Minerva is doing a dangerous thing by taking part in the revolution, Mate writes that Minerva is doing it so that Mate can “ grow up in a free country” ( Alvarez 38). She isn’t only in the revolution because it's the right thing to do, she wants what's best for her sister, she wants her to be free. Minerva loves and values her family, showing she is just like us ordinary people, she is willing to put herself in danger not only for the good of the country but for the people she loves. Later in the book, after Minerva has children and has been in prison but has been released on house arrest, she “couldn’t think of anything [she] wanted more than to stay home with [her] sisters, at Mamas, raising [their] children” ( Alvarez 257). While Minerva was in prison, all she could think about was getting back to her children, even though she knew she was taking a stand against Trujillo, she wanted to be with her family. Minerva longing for her family right when she gets out of prison shows she is an ordinary person who isn’t as focused on just rising up against Trujillo as she seems. She is a mother and a sister, not just a