Butterflies Theme

The most common theme in the book is the ongoing struggle of the Butterflies against the government. When the flashback first begins, this particular theme is surfaced during a conversation between the Mirabal family, discussing the idea of Minevra becoming a lawyer. In effect their mother exclaimed jokingly, “Just what we need, skirts in the law!” (Alvarez 10) Minerva insisted that the claim was true, insisting that that, “It’s about time we women had a voice in running our country.” (Alvarez 10) Papa agrees and mentions the dictator’s name. Immediately, the family shunned, and hoped that there was not spies listening to their conversations. The author, Julia Alvarez indicated to the readers that Trujillo runs a dangerous and corrupt government …show more content…
He knew that these people were major advocates in the revolution, and their eyes were open to the unjust acts he was performing. Sinita Perozo, a friend of Minerva’s throughout boarding school, uncles and brothers were assassinated because they knew too much of his corrupted way of becoming into office, his disturbing deaths he placed on people, and wanted to overthrow him. He did not want people like the Butterflies to ignite a revolution and an assignation against him. When the girls were released from jail, Dede explained to the readers that there was rumors circulating that, “Trujillo wanted [Minerva] …show more content…
The Mirabal family’s lives, particularly Patria and Mama’s, was dictated through religion. Patria faced many struggles with religion regarding to her belief in God. It depended on her situations throughout life. In the beginning of the story, Patria, as a child, wanted to find her calling that God was going to give her. She prayed to him, did exorbitant amount of charity work, until she could find it. She eventually did, and when she was doing her charity in the Church of scrubbing the parishioners’ feet on Holy Thursday, she found the man she would spend the rest of her life with. Although, when feeling depressed, like when she experienced a still birth with her third child, she lost faith wondering how God could punish her in such a way. This can be compared to that when Minerva and the family was blind and did not experience Trujillo’s wrath, they worshiped him and believed that he was beloved. Minerva was in complete disarray when she found out from Sinita that Trujillo was perfuming corrupt acts against people. She thought that, “It was as if I had just heard Jesus had slapped a baby…” Although, when innocent thought and actions are lost, the wrath of God for the citizens was compared to the wrath of Trujillo’s. He would torture and kill all those who defied him. Patria told the readers after Minerva mentioned that Trujillo and