Trujillo’s actions oppressing citizens bring about social change because they get people unhappy with the status quo, giving them a reason for change in the government.
Trujillo’s regime oppresses women and does not give them equal rights to men, causing Minerva and other women to stand up against him because they are able to empathize with what women in society are going through. It is a social norm in society for men to be in charge, and it “[is] inconceivable for a political movement made up mostly of men to be led by a woman” (Minou Speech). Even though Minerva started the revolution and played an important role in liberating the people, she wasn’t viewed as a leader under the eyes of society due to the fact that she’s a woman. In the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, Trujillo manipulates girls into falling in love with him, and once they fall into his trap, he has them “shipped off to a mansion” never to be seen or heard from again (Alvarez 23). Trujillo views women as objects and as people who he can control, and this results in the rest of society treating women the same way because they are influenced by the …show more content…
Trujillo is not distributing wealth evenly amongst his citizens, and he makes sure that all “the increased economic prosperity [is] disproportionately distributed to his family, supporters, and military personnel (Trujillo handout). Trujillo controls the citizens’ right to property and wealth, and he is using his power for personal profit. As a result, the people believe that by ending Trujillo’s reign, they can get their freedom back and can receive equal rights and opportunity in both wealth and property. Moreover, Trujillo has abolished the people’s rights to both freedom of speech and freedom of press. Trujillo’s regime makes sure that the “people who open their big mouths [don’t] live very long” in order to remove any opposition against him (Alvarez 18). Trujillo’s secret service spies on and hunts down the people who speak out against the government in any way. Trujillo’s tactic of ruling through fear is flawed in the sense that while it may work for some time, there will eventually be people who are willing to stand up for social change. His regime makes the people waiting for change because they are not represented, they do not have the right to speak out without fear of death, and they are forced to live with less property and money than they deserve.