The Bravery of Minerva in In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

Minerva Mirabal was a bratty know-it-all that was hellbent on changing the world

in some way or another. She was naive and impulsive, but she meant well. But was she

the shining light in a dark time that so many people see her to be? According to In The

Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, yes. She was a heroine in a small, yet

meaningful, way. She had the bravery to go toe-to-toe with Trujillo, was quite willing to

break the law, and wanted nothing more than to get involved with and involve others in

the revolution.

To begin with, Minerva Mirabal was certainly a brave and courageous individual.;

and she made sure people knew it. But was this merely a mask to cover a cowardly

personality? Though she had her flaws, it's almost admirable when you examine the

number of times she crossed paths with Trujillo and came out on top. Or alive. That's

pretty important. As stated by Minerva, "El Jefe takes my hand. "May I have the

pleasure?""(Alvarez 65). In this example, Minerva meets the infamous Rafael Trujillo

face to face. And he asks her to dance with him. The fact that she didn't try to escape but

faced him head on is a testament to her character. "I can see my hand in a slow motion

rise-a mind of its own-and come down on the astonished, made up face." Minerva said,

(67). Here, we see Minerva has the audacity to slap Trujillo after he makes "vulgar

thrusts". The man's got class, what can I say? It was a stupid thing to do on her part, but

it took bravery for her to stand up for herself. It's that kind of stupid bravery that wins

wars (and gets people killed). "I'll tell you what. We'll toss for the privilege," Trujillo

suggested, (75). The apex of Minerva's encounters with Trujillo (at this point in time). If...

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...her little sister, and a Communist. With friends like these, who

needs enemies? Minerva was certainly a social butterfly! Get it, butterfly? Minerva

clearly did a good job of getting to know her fellow secret-protesters. But did that make

her a hero?

Willing to: duke it out with an egotistical despot, commit any crime available, and

drag everyone along with her; was Minerva Mirabal a hero? Yes. Sure. Why not? While

not a hero in any big way, Minerva Mirabal was a typical woman who fought for what

she believed in.The best heroes are the ones that are willing to fight for the good of the

people. And while Trujillo would live long enough to have a bad encounter with a

couple of conspirators and a Chevy Bel Air, Minerva changed the Dominican Republic

in a small, yet meaningful way. She gave people the only real way to bring about

change. She gave people hope.