Desiderio1

HayleyDesiderio
Ms.McManigal
AdvancedEnglish2,Period5
9May2014
CourageWithin
BritishPolitician,WinstonChurchill,oncesaid,Courageiswhatittakestostandupand
speakcourageisalsowhatittakestositdownandlisten(CourageQuotes).Courageisatrait
thateveryonehasandshowsmanytimesthroughouttheirlifetime.Inthenovel,
IntheTimeof
theButterflies,
byJuliaAlvareztheMirabalsistersshowtheirundyingcouragewhenthey
becomemartyrsoftheircountry.Twoofthesesisters,MinervaandDede,displaycouragein
opposingyetincredibleways.Throughouttherevolution,MinervaandDedeshowtheircourage
throughtheirindividualactionsandpersonalities.
Oneofthesisters,Minerva,expresseshercouragewithhermanyrevolutionaryactions.
ThisdaringandspiritedyoungwomandespisesherpresidentRafaelTrujillo,andmakesit
apparentthroughherdifferentactions.Forinstance,whiledancingwithTrujilloatapartyand
hearingavulgarremarkfromhimherhandroseand[came]downon[his]astonished,madeup
face(Alvarez100).Trujilloscrudepersonalitybothersanextremeamountofhispeople,but
onlyMinervahasenoughcouragetoshowthedisgustsheholdsfortheman.Growingup,
MinervabegantolearnterriblethingsaboutwhatTrujilloandhissecretpolicehadbeendoingto
innocentcivilians.Beingtheopinionatedpersonsheisshed[often]throwajabat[the]
PresidentorattheChurchforsupportinghiminpublic(51).Sheiscourageousindoingthis
becausesheistryingtogetpeopletocatchontoTrujillosunbelievableatrocitiesallwhile

Desiderio2

puttingherselfinimmensedangerforspeakingagainsthim.Ifthewrongpersonweretohearher
revolutionaryremarks,sheandherwholefamilycouldbetorturedtodeath.Throughoutthe
growingRevolution,Minervaexpresseshercouragethroughrevolutionaryactionsagainstthe
PresidentRafaelTrujilloandhisruleovertheDominicancitizens.
Minervaspassionatepersonalityalsohelpstoportrayhercourageinthisstory.Nomatterwhat
thesituation,shewillalwayspersevereandfightforwhatshebelievesisright.Onmany
occasionsshetriestopersuadehersistersintojoiningtheRevolutionalongwithher.For
example,shesendsheroldestsistertoDedeshousetryingtoconvincehertoletthembury
boxesfullofantiTrujillodocumentsinthebackyard.WhenDedeinsiststhatshewillnotbea
partofit,Minervasagitatedbehaviorbecomespresent.Shefeelsthatinthistimeitisessential
forDedetostartstandingupfortheirrights.Dederefusesandtheothersisterspardonher
choice,butbecauseofherpassiontowardstheissueMinervacouldneverleavewellenough
alone(180).Hercourageisshownthroughthisbecausesheistakingastronginitiativetostand
uptoherownsister.Evenwhenshewasinschool,MinervaspassionfortheRevolutionwas
seen,eventhoughitwassecretive.Shehadoftenbeencaughtsneakingoutofschooltotake
placesinsecretmeetingsatamannamedDonHoracioshouse.DonHoracioisanoldmanwho
isintroublewiththepolicebecausehedoesnotfollowTrujillosrules.Sneakingouttothese
meetingsisprobablythemostdangerousscenariothatMinervacouldputherselfin.However,
sheclaimsthattheunderlyingreasonforthiscourageousanddangerousoccurrenceisbecause
shewants[hersisters]togrowupinafreecountryandshewillneverstopfightingforthat.
Minervasextremelypassionatepersonalityshowsherunfailingcourageinmanyways
throughoutthenovel.

Desiderio3

IncontrasttoMinerva,Dededisplayshercouragethroughheropposingactions.Dede
hasalwaysbeenthesistertorefrainfromactivitiesthatgoagainstthegovernment.Eventhough
hersistershavebecomeactiverevolutionaries,Dededoesnotwanttobeapartofit.Therefore,
whenhersistersapproachandaskhertojoinsheusestheexcuseoffollowingherhusbands
wishes.Shedoesfeelguiltyaboutit,butshefirmlytellsthemthatshe[willfollowher]
husbandandwillnotgetinvolved(172).ThisisaverycourageousactbecauseDedeisdoing
whatsheknowsisbestforherfamily,evenifitmeansreceivingthecoldshoulderfromher
sisters.UnlikeMinerva,shedoesnotfeelstronglyabouttheRevolution,andthesafetyofher
lovedonesismoreimportant.Asthestoryprogresses,hersisterslivesbegintochangeforthe
worst.Eventually,theyareallmurderedbyTrujillossecretpolice,leavingDedeastheonly
Mirabalsisterleftliving.Dederecallsthelifesheonceknewwithhersisters.Shecanseethem
alltherein[her]memory,asstillasstatues(321).Sherealizesthatsomethinginthepictureis
notrightandshe[countsthestatues]alltwicebefore[sherealizes]its[her]...theonewho
survivedtotellthestory(321).Inthisnovel,Minervascourageousactsareformedaroundthe
Revolutionandchangingthecountry.Incontrast,Dedefocusesontheimportanceoffamily.She
usesanimmenseamountofcouragetocarryonthelegacyofhersisterslives,andfindaway
throughherownheartachetosharetheirstorywiththeworld.
Courageisatraitthateveryonehasandshowsmanytimesthroughouttheirlifetime.In
thenovel,
IntheTimeoftheButterflies
byJuliaAlvareztheMirabalsistersshowtheirincredible
courageallthroughthecourseoftheirlives.MinervaandDedebothpossessextremecourage
althoughtheymakeitapparentthroughtheirindividualactionsandpersonalities.Inactuality,
thereisnorightwaytoshowcourage,doingitinonesownwayiswhatmakesitallthemore

Desiderio4

powerful.Ifpeopledidnotpossessthecourageittakestostandupforwhattheybelieve,our
worldwouldbecompletelychanged.Everyonewouldhavetheirownopinions,butnoonewould
takethetimetovoiceitmakingthingsalmostcompletelysimilar.