In The Time Of The Butterflies Power

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People who have a position in the government can start off doing good things for the people and country, but will become power hungry and want to be in control of every little thing. This hunger for power can be seen in the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, which demonstrates how the daily lives of the citizens in the Dominican Republic are affected under the rule of their oppressive ruler, Trujillo. Alvarez focuses on 4 sisters, the Mirabal family, who strive for equality and democratic rights. The 4 sisters have all been been oppressed by Trujillo´s ridiculous laws. Enforcing unnecessary laws on society makes sure that Trujillo stays in complete control, which compels the people to strive for more freedom and rights, …show more content…

People ought to live in a society where they feel safe and welcomed; however, when harsh and unnecessary laws are put into place, the people will be unhappy. In the novel, Minerva goes to the government to study law, and after five years, she receives her law degree. She gathers the whole family for her graduation only to learn that she will not be handed “the license to practice. [... Trujillo] was planning all along to let her study for five whole years only to render that degree useless in the end. How cruel!” (Alvarez 138). Trujillo is threatened by powerful women like Minerva, so he does not hand her “the license to practice,” law, meaning she cannot become a lawyer. Minerva could be a threat to his reign, so once Minerva has a position in the government, she will be powerful enough to create a rebellion to overthrow him, endangering his position in society. Therefore, he simply let Minerva “study for five whole years only to render that degree useless in the end,” causing outrage in the Mirabal family. Not allowing women to have many rights or do what they please, creates overall unhappiness in the society, leading to the people revolt, like the Mirabal sisters and many others eventually did. Similarly, the first step of a revolution is described as the overall unhappiness of the people (Steps of a Revolution Notes). This displeasure can be seen in the third estate during the time of the French revolution because they were not treated well by the king and queen at the time, they worked the most but were also taxed the most. Not being treated equally to the other estates, caused the third estate to strive for a voice in the government, which, ultimately, led to the rebellion to overthrow the king and queen. Overall, the unhappiness of the people against the government will cause a rebellion for more freedom and equal rights.

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