The Mirabal Sisters In In The Time Of The Butterflies

Gaining Color In the beginning, butterflies’ wings are transparent and colorless. By growing and flying in the light, they are able to stain their wings and achieve the vibrant colorful wings they are famous for. The Mirabal sisters did not start off as the faces of the underground revolution against Trujillo. In the beginning of In the Time of the Butterflies, the sisters were living cooperatively under Trujillo’s rule, but throughout the novel the reader watches each sister grow and develop their own values. As people around the world heard about their story the sisters started to be called mariposas, or butterflies. The Mirabal sisters are associated with butterflies because each in their own unique way can identify with the subtle bravery of the insect; Minerva’s strength, Patria’s stability, Mate’s development, and Dedé’s instincts. The eldest sister, Patria, was always a child of God. She starts off her first chapter by telling the reader, “No one had to tell me to believe in God or

From the start of the novel Dedé has been very noncontroversial. When her sisters are going to school she volunteers to stay home and help their father with the shop. Later on when her sisters encourage her to join in the movement against Trujillo Dedé’s husband, Jaimito, tells her she can not join. Following her husbands orders, “Dedé sent Patria a note: Sorry Jaimito says no. And for weeks afterwards, she avoided her sisters”(177). Choosing to not join the revolution made Dedé feel weak, but ultimately this decision is what saved her life. By following her instincts, comparatively to how butterflies follow their inner compass, she was able to be the lone surviving Mirabal sister. After her sisters deaths she became more involved in the movement and she grew braver. Dedé is a butterfly because she followed her instincts, but was able to be brave when the time