Key+Plot+events

=
Maria Theresa has just graduated and is discovering who she is while learning to think for herself. She has seen how corrupt the government has become and is making a difference in the little ways she can=====

=
This event is significant because it illustrates the change in belief and character that Patria undergoes as a result of the events in Constanza. Patria is not the only one to begin to favor the revolution which demonstrates the change in the Mirabal sisters and society.===== This also shows how the revolution and Trujillo's regime was affecting everyone, even the most passive and devout were getting involved, such as Patria.

**Building bombs**
This represents the shift from peace to violence and comes right after Maria Teresa becomes Mariposa number two. She is a new member of the cause and very enthusiastic. Up until this point in the book the revolution has been peaceful. Also at this time the activists are collecting ammunition, they are going to start to come up to the surface after being underground. When bombs explode they hurt people and change things in a way that ideas can also explode and dramatically change things. Sinita planted the seed about the monstrosity of Trujillo and this seed grew until the point when the sisters met Lio Morales and continued to blossom until Minerva became Mariposa number one and Mate became Mariposa number two. The power of ideas and how they can spread rapidly is highlighted by the explosive nature of this bomb. The bomb also represents the balance between being a girl, talking about the love of her life, and being an activist. Maria Teresa is in love and it is in her diary which is surrounded by love notes to Palomino in which the blueprint for the bomb is found. She is trying to balance her new career as an activist with becoming a wife and staying in the domestic sphere.


 * Minerva Meets Sinita **

"First time I met Sinita she was sitting in the parlor where Sor Asuncion was greeting all the new pupils and their mothers. She was all by herself, a skinny girl with a sour look on her face and pokey elbows to match” (13). Relatively early on in the book, the first encounter between Minerva and Sinita, a young girl she meets at school, takes place. Sinita will have a strong influence on Minerva, and ultimately shape her personality, for Minerva will go on to become a strong Anti-Trujillo revolutionary, and Sinita first teaches her about the horrible nature of the dictator. She first planted the roots of doubt in Minerva’s brain, questioning the previously revered Trujillo. These roots will zealously spring up and become unbending plants. Sinita inspires Minerva to value making a difference, and she clearly had a considerable impact on Minerva, for Minerva and the other //mariposas// will show that they value change more than they care for their own lives.