The Role Of Faith In Julia Alvarez's In The Time Of The Butterflies
Struggles of faith
Is struggle always a part of believing in something? A part of having faith? A part of religion? Struggle builds strength and allows people to grow. Oprah Winfrey states, “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” In Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies, struggle, religion, and faith have always been a part of the Mirabal’s family. While the three of the sisters, Minerva, María Teresa, and Dedé, lose touch with their faith, Patria battles to keep a strong bond with hers. Although Patria Mirabal was very religious as a child, as she ages, doubts of her faith begin to grow in her mind, especially after she loses a child; her journey of faith is a constant struggle throughout the time of the revolution. This struggle builds a stronger person, and eventually makes her faith deeper than anything in the past. …show more content…
Patria has always trusted God and His plan, but that changes when she loses her second son. Prior to this loss, “Jesus had not taken anything away from [her]” (53). According to Patria, this loss shows God has betrayed her; He took her son. She begins to question her faith and God, and she even starts “challenging Him” because of it (53). She asks Him how could her “loving, all-powerful Father allow [her] to suffer” (53)? Why would the Lord, if He loves us, have us go through such extreme pain? These are the questions that lead Patria to stray away from her faith. From the moment she lost her baby, her faith left too, leaving her “an empty house” (52). That vacancy left her with doubts and
Is struggle always a part of believing in something? A part of having faith? A part of religion? Struggle builds strength and allows people to grow. Oprah Winfrey states, “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” In Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies, struggle, religion, and faith have always been a part of the Mirabal’s family. While the three of the sisters, Minerva, María Teresa, and Dedé, lose touch with their faith, Patria battles to keep a strong bond with hers. Although Patria Mirabal was very religious as a child, as she ages, doubts of her faith begin to grow in her mind, especially after she loses a child; her journey of faith is a constant struggle throughout the time of the revolution. This struggle builds a stronger person, and eventually makes her faith deeper than anything in the past. …show more content…
Patria has always trusted God and His plan, but that changes when she loses her second son. Prior to this loss, “Jesus had not taken anything away from [her]” (53). According to Patria, this loss shows God has betrayed her; He took her son. She begins to question her faith and God, and she even starts “challenging Him” because of it (53). She asks Him how could her “loving, all-powerful Father allow [her] to suffer” (53)? Why would the Lord, if He loves us, have us go through such extreme pain? These are the questions that lead Patria to stray away from her faith. From the moment she lost her baby, her faith left too, leaving her “an empty house” (52). That vacancy left her with doubts and