Minerva's Motive for Joining the Revolution from the book In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Of all the Mirabel sisters, Minerva is by far the most confrontational. She has no fear and stands up to anyone, no matter what his or her position of power is. Often her rash actions are a hindrance to her purpose. Additionally, her purpose changes constantly, making it near impossible for people to control her. As Minerva changes from a loyal servant to a rebel, some things do not change. Minerva is highly confrontational and as a result will fight any fight, though the revolution is just a convenient one.
In her first stories, Minerva constantly fights with her father. She says, "I has the one always standing up to him." (alvarez 12) She is talking about her father. Everything is a constant argument with her, and she never lets up, always finding new angles until she achieves her goals. When she is a loyal citizen in her innocence, she "defended Trujillo"(alvarez 18) even before Sinita had finished her stories. Her loyalty begins to ever so slightly waver, but her love of the fight is constant throughout her first chapter.
As her cause develops, Minerva will not decide that discretion is the better part of valor in any situation. As she is invited to a private party, and as she is dancing with Trujillo, she feels threatened, not awed, by his power, and when he exercises his power to feel Minerva, he receives a swift slap. Such a reaction is extreme to say the least for any other human being, and Trujillo just shakes his head in wonder at her ferocity. Her action has not helped her revolutionary cause and in fact has dealt her cause as ferocious a blow as she dealt Trujillo face. She slapped him because she relishes the fight, and the art of the fight. The revolution is just another way of fighting, and one that she is wary of because she does not yet know how to win.
Her revolution continues with her attempts at getting the men out of prison. She has now lost her innocence completely and if given the chance would in a second topple the regime she loved in her
In her first stories, Minerva constantly fights with her father. She says, "I has the one always standing up to him." (alvarez 12) She is talking about her father. Everything is a constant argument with her, and she never lets up, always finding new angles until she achieves her goals. When she is a loyal citizen in her innocence, she "defended Trujillo"(alvarez 18) even before Sinita had finished her stories. Her loyalty begins to ever so slightly waver, but her love of the fight is constant throughout her first chapter.
As her cause develops, Minerva will not decide that discretion is the better part of valor in any situation. As she is invited to a private party, and as she is dancing with Trujillo, she feels threatened, not awed, by his power, and when he exercises his power to feel Minerva, he receives a swift slap. Such a reaction is extreme to say the least for any other human being, and Trujillo just shakes his head in wonder at her ferocity. Her action has not helped her revolutionary cause and in fact has dealt her cause as ferocious a blow as she dealt Trujillo face. She slapped him because she relishes the fight, and the art of the fight. The revolution is just another way of fighting, and one that she is wary of because she does not yet know how to win.
Her revolution continues with her attempts at getting the men out of prison. She has now lost her innocence completely and if given the chance would in a second topple the regime she loved in her