In the Time of Butterflies Essay Example

oppressive government.

Lio went into hiding due to his actions against the government. Meanwhile, Minerva and her family received an invitation to a formal ball at the President's palace, where Minerva had the opportunity to dance with Trujillo. While dancing together, Minerva took the chance to request permission to attend law school, but unfortunately, Trujillo rejected her request. To make matters worse, Trujillo inappropriately touched Minerva, prompting her to slap him across the face. However, surprisingly, Trujillo allowed Minerva and her family to leave. The following day, the police arrived at the family farm and took Minerva's father into custody. In response, Minerva went straight to the palace, where Trujillo decided their fate by rolling a dice to determine whether she and her family would be set free.

Minerva agrees to the proposal of winning her freedom and attending law school if she wins a roll of the dice, which ultimately happens. As a result, Trujillo allows her to depart. Sadly, Minerva's father, who had been imprisoned and tortured, is released but passes away shortly after. Amidst attending her father's funeral, Minerva is handed a letter by the police chief, granting her permission to pursue law school. Although Minerva holds a strong hatred for Trujillo, she begrudgingly accepts his "gift" of attending law school as she recognizes it as her sole means of opposing him. While studying law, Minerva stumbles upon the devastating news that Lio has been killed.

Butterfly, also known as Minerva, meets Manolo, another member of the resistance. She joins the resistance and convinces Patria and Mate to join as well. Butterfly falls in love with Manolo and they marry. Despite completing law school, her

license is withheld by Trujillo as a form of revenge. However, she continues her resistance activities even after having children. Butterfly, along with Mate and other resistance members, is arrested and jailed. As a symbol, many prisoners, guards, and outsiders express their support for the resistance group known as "the Butterflies".

In the end, Minerva and Mate are finally released from jail, but their husbands remain captive. Trujillo pays a visit to Minerva's home, where she appeals for his assistance in freeing their husbands. Trujillo pledges to aid Minerva in resolving her problems. During their journey back from visiting their husbands, Minerva, Patria, and Mate encounter a large group of Trujillo's men on the road. They are taken to a secluded area away from the main road, where the men surround them and brutally assault them until they die. For a period of time, Minerva's revolutionary fervor and infectious spirit make her appear unstoppable in her battle against Trujillo's oppressive regime.

Despite warnings, Minerva persisted in defying boundaries and venturing into territory that terrified other Dominican people. Patria, her sister, displayed her previously concealed bravery by starting a Christian revolutionary organization and joining forces with Minerva. Maria Theresa, the sister with the most cheerful demeanor, initially joined them out of curiosity but gradually became increasingly motivated and impassioned by her own objectives for the country. Lastly, Dede consistently remained the most cautious and prudent of the sisters.

She was one who remained uninvolved with her sisters’ revolution. Dede had warned the others about the danger and advised them not to go up to the secluded prison. Despite her sisters' attempts to include her in their cause, she refused.

–From Smith In The Time Of The Butterflies (http://www.blogger.com) The Death Of The Mirabal Sisters was the final blow to the regime of Leonidas Trujillo, who was assassinated six months later. Several of the children of the Mirabal sisters held important posts in the later democratic governments of the Dominican Republic.

The day of the sisters' death, November 25, is observed in many Latin American countries as the “International Day Against Violence Towards Women”. – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www. http://en. wikipedia. org) Despite not anticipating a happy ending in "In The Time Of The Butterflies," I was still deeply affected by the tragic conclusion of the sisters' lives and the subsequent loss their children had to endure. It seems unjust, considering all they had endured and achieved.