Time Of The Butterflies Thesis

Metamorphosis

Often, society is faced with multiple problems that are out of their control. How one interprets and finds a solution to these issues can greatly alter their future. In the classic, In the Time of the Butterflies, the reader is exposed to the Mirabal sisters and their fatal journey from childhood to adulthood. The reader observes as the sisters make many choices in creating new relationships and strengthening their current ones. Most women, including the Mirabal sisters are faced with the controversy of gender discrimination and have been for many years. However, Julia Alvarez allows for the world to listen in on how women have changed society due to the decisions they have made. “It’s about time we women had a voice in running our country” (Alvarez 10). If it were not for the Mirabal sisters’ courageous decision-making throughout their life, women may still have been known as the “invisible half of history”. Although society does not seem to appreciate the historic efforts of women such as

Minerva, Maria Teresa and Patria Mirabal, the choices they made during their movement has impacted not only their fate, but their personalities as well.
Second born out of four children, Minerva Mirabal was by far the most irrepressible and incorrigible of the Mirabal sisters.

Her strong belief in rising against the Rafael Trujillo regime influenced numerous decisions brought upon her. When Minerva’s attendance was specifically requested, “El Jefe” attempts to charm her and implies that he would like to “conquer” her while dancing at his private party. Minerva then wittily replied, “’I’m afraid I’m not for conquest”’ (Alvarez 99). This quote demonstrates that Minerva was assertive and did not give in easily. She was aware of Trujillo’s imperious ways and certainly knew what he was capable of. She then proceeded to slap Trujillo at his attempt to seduce her. This decision influenced Minerva’s life because she was now a sworn enemy of the regime. This momentous event ignites a flame inside Minerva because she was now more determined to revolutionize and fight for the rights of the people in the Dominican

Republic.
Maria Teresa Mirabal, nicknamed “Mate”, was the youngest of the four Mirabal sisters. In the novel, she received a diary from Minerva and told her story through various entries. A decision that affected her personally was whether to join the revolution or not. Eventually she decided to fight alongside Minerva and her husband against the toxic Trujillo regime. “I told Minerva and Manolo right out, I wanted to join” (Alvarez 142). Because Maria Teresa saw her sister join, whom she has always looked up to, she learned that she could become a leader as well. By joining the resistance, Maria Teresa was able to mature further and become more individualistic.