Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez: Character Analysis

Ask yourselves how much courage does one need to stand up and fight for what you believe in. As Nelson Mandela once said “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it, the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers it”. Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. Courage can also be defined as bravery, valor or even heroism. There are different types of courage, such as physical courage and moral courage. For example a firefighter can show physical courage by running into burning building and saving one’s life. The word courage comes from the old French corage “the heart innermost feelings”. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a novel in which four sisters

Throughout the novel she becomes more courageous. She showed physical courage when she had the guts to slap Trujillo for his vulgar action towards her. As she continues to grow into her own person she shows that she is willing to give up everything even her own child to continue fighting in the revolution. Minerva told patria to keep her 6 month old son, Manolito. “But Minerva your own child. I began and then I saw it did hurt to make this sacrifice, she was convinced she needed to make”. This quote reveals that Minerva is willing to do anything to continue fighting in the revolution and regain the freedom she desires so much. Although she was the most outspoken her other three siblings also carried courage within

Throughout the novel “In the Time of the Butterflies, we see Dede struggle to find her own identity within her family. She feels odd compared to her sisters. “All the beds were neat and weedless, everything in its place. Only in the new bed where she’d just been working did the soil look torn up”. This reveals what Dede thinks about herself and her sisters. Dede feels out of place mean while all her sisters have chosen the same path, to fight in the revolution. Dede shows intellectual courage when she finally realizes the truth. “Lio was right; this was an absurd and crazy regime. It had to be brought down”. This shows how dede starts to question the government and finally realizes the truth. Not to mention after her sisters deaths Dede shows a great deal of courage when she told to recall the story of her sisters and share their