Characters_Descriptions,+Actions,+Thoughts,+Words,+Values


 * Trujillo **

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Though a corrupt and malicious dictator,Trujillo elevates himself to the level of God through his portrait hanging beside that of Jesus (hubris). He attempts to rule the people of the Dominican Republic like God would, with absolute authority, in a supposed paradise on earth. This is not the case due to his secret militia that constantly intervenes in citizens’ lives, preventing them from establishing a democratic nation. He values power and prestige, and his violent actions demonstrate a strong belief in the idea "the ends justify the means." =====

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Trujillo suffers from the delusions most dictators have: that what they are doing is best for their country and themselves, even if the people don't agree. He has a desperation for control, lust for constant, unattainable power (controlling people's thoughts and actions through fear and pro-Trujillo propaganda), and the desire to create his perfect country. He will go to any means to achieve these goals, no matter how outrageous they might be, which is what makes him a truly formidable opponent to the Mirabel sisters.=====

Trujillo also feeds off of the immensely enhanced admiration of the citizens of the Dominican Republic. Those living in this nation are required to have pictures of Trujillo in their homes and speak nothing negatively about them. This constant adoring makes Trujillo feel that much more important, and it is this that fuels the fire and makes Trujillo more of controlling dictator.

**Patria **

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The eldest of the Mirabal sisters, Patria is a character who struggles to choose between two opposing life-long partners: God if she is to become a nun, or the soil of the earth if she is to marry a farmer. When her husband pours dirt in her hands, a symbol of marrying earth, Patria’s choice of her marriage to man constrains her to a life of a farmer instead of life based on intellect or religion. This choice limits her to the earth, a sphere containing the numerous imperfections of man that arise from greed, lust, hatred, and indifference. =====

Patria is forced to make the decision, at a young age, to choose a familial, domestic, and matrimonial life rather than a life solely dedicated to God. This is important because it opens to the broader theme of choices in the novel. Each woman is given the ability to choose her lifestyle, and in Patria’s case she decides to be a mother as well as a revolutionary. Her most unique trait is her extreme devotion to her faith. It keeps her sane and willing to continue on even when times get tough like when her husband and son are arrested and imprisoned before her. Like her faith, Patria is able to endure much pain and suffering throughout the novel, despite her murder at the end.

-Foil for Minerva -More quiet and gentle -Beginning: -Tied to domestic sphere of life -Likes stability -Through times of war and strife, church always remains stable -No matter your faith, a church is always a place of safety and sanctuary -Likes the solid feel of a family wants to ‘build her home on stone, not sand’

Patria is also extremely religious, which could explain why she is considered the rock of the family. She is very reliable, especially when caring for the children, and looks to her faith for guidance. It is through this faith that she finds the strength to oppose such a horrible regime.

By being solely faith-based, Patria is also illustrating how, in an area ruled by a dictator who believed that he possessed power so great it could be related to God (by believing that they can be a single ruler without the aid of others or checks and balances, indirectly stating that they have supreme power -dictators are hubris individuals), there is still someone/something greater. Patria is the link to the supernatural world - to God, the only one who still has power over everyone/everything, power that Trujillo cannot take away.

__**Maria Teresa (Mate) **__
//Chapter 3, 7,11//

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She is very sensitive, cries a lot. She always wanted to stay out of the revolution, but began to be drawn in and eventually becomes a big part of it. She has a very strong faith in God and does not lose it (Special devotion to the Virgin Mary). Mate is the "record holder" of the Mirabal sisters. Mate's diary that was first written in during her years at the convent eventually grew to become a major part of her life. Mate's diary was a place of self-reflection on events that took place in the sisters' lives that greatly impacted them both emotionally and physically. Within Mate's diary there is also multiple mentions of the actions and influence of her sister, Minerva Mirabal, significant because Minerva helps convince Mate to join the revolution, and the two sisters are arrested and imprisoned together. =====

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Maria Teresa is a character who is intially extremely innocent and juvenile, but near the end of her dairy entries we observe a change in her personality. Her thoughts and even her use of words becomes more mature as the revolution begins to develop and her innocence is awakened by the harsh realities of the world around her. She is an extremely pensive person who reflects on the majority of the events occuring around her - even analyzing the way that she reflects at some points. She is able to express her personal freedom in her diary. Maria Teresa knows that no one can be trusted with her inner thoughts, so she writes them in a place where no one can hear them, although she is constantly remembered to keep her diary confidential and hidden away, so that no one will find it and all of the references to the underground revolution which it contains. She is also very emotional and gets upset by even the simplest of things. She is extremely devoted to Mary and her faith in general. =====

**Juvenile** Is considered the baby of the family -There is such a large age difference between her and her three sisters -She dresses like her young daughter and easily gets emotional -Does have her own original thoughts: she is the one in school who has revolutionary ideas -Reactionary - Skeptical towards men (including her father) "You must not see every man as a potential serpent." (127)

**Diary** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Uses diary to leave a legacy of her life <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">-Demonstrates the stages of her life from a focus on self to a focus on others <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">-Diagrams: from clothes to bombs <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">-->goes from clothes, to a house, to bombs....what is this saying about her character's transformation? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">__//-Chronicler//__: records political and social events (as well as emotional sentiments), also demonstrates transformation (like a butterfly!) of Mate as she goes from innocent, naive little girl to radical revolutionary <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">She becomes the scribe of her revolutionary group.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Development** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Greatest character transformation <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">__Earlier years__: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Materialistic (writes about clothes) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Pg 30: demonstrates she is childish <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Looks up to authority, especially Minerva (Minerva was the one who told her to keep a diary) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Sensitive: cries over the arguments she gets in as a young girl with her older sisters <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;">-It is important to keep in mind that she is significantly younger than the sister she is arguing with and has the right to get upset <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;">-Because she is often compared to her sisters, what is normal for her age is emphasized as childish <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Has a hard time reflecting because she is **innocent** and has not yet been corrupted by the outside influences of her world (Romantic thinking idea) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;">-Children are the closest to God and the most innocent because they are still clinging on to their connection with God <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;">-Children have the gift of **discernment** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Is a follower, yet does still shows that she has her own opinions <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Sensitive—reactionary <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">__Later years__: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Pg 118: 7 years later à different level of observation and reflection <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">- Pg. 144: Maria Theresa's Diary contains diagrams of the bombs- this contrasts from her earlier drawings of shoes and handbags. The corruption of society because more visible to her. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Pg 227: diagrams à transformations of diagrams <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Pg 231: learns a new language (code language) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Becomes social activist and revolutionist <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">__Reflections__: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">-Looks back at her diary to when she was younger <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in;">-‘How childish I was…’ she was able to see how much she had matured

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">**Passionate** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">-Visceral--reactionary <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">-She can be seen at as sensitive, but her immediate emotional reactions show how she is emotionally connected <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;">-Is much stronger than others often perceive her to be at first glance, makes decisions based on her own ethics and believes each of her choices to be just

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A minor character who brings to light the horrible things that Trujillo has been doing to the people in his country. She and Minerva are best friends when they both go to the Catholic boarding school as young girls. Sinita tells Minerva all of the horrible parts about Trujillo's rule. This is shocking to Minerva whose family had revered him as the glorious leader of their nation. After hearing these horror stories about the ruler who she once revered Minerva decides to take action. Sinita is a minor character who plays a major part in the plot of this novel. She is the reason why Minerva starts being a "rebel". Sinita's courage to live in the country in which so many of her relatives had been killed, and her devotion to spreading awareness of this horrible dictator and actually taking action shows a strong woman who is very important to Minerva and therefore this novel. =====

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Minerva has a multi-faceted personality. To the outsider Minerva is the strongest minded of the Mirabal sisters. She is an ambitious feminist and a leader for others in both her family and in the rebel cause. However although Minerva has the appearance of a brave, strong, and consistent woman, inside she is full of doubt. Minerva does not know what she wants and spends her time in the book attempting to discover what she wants to do with her life. She has to deal with the supposed rejection of Lio and her lonliness. Minerva's character becomes stronger because of these struggles that she must face alone. Soon Minerva finds her partner, Manolo, a man with whom she can be equal and share her love and troubles with. Manolo and Minerva have the strongest marriage in the sense that they are both respectful to one another and are intellectually equal; which as seen in //A Doll's House// is vital to the success of a marriage. Minerva is the revolutionary, the primary Mariposa in the novel. =====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">-Most vocal <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">-Gets most attention because other sisters look up to her and respect her à story sill doesn’t foucs more on ther than others <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">-Strategist <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">-Originally has status and name as wise one

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Minerva values education. Not only for herself, but for her family. Even more specifically, Minerva values education for women. Minerva makes it clear many times throughout the book that education is very important to her. She is the one who advoacates for the education of she and her sisters. She also makes a promise that she will give her half sisters and education, which she makes happen. Minervas value for education is prevalant throughout the book as she promotes it not only for herslef but others as well

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Minerva also values courage and confidence. she is not afraid to speak her mind or stand up for her beliefs. She is attracted to people who obtain these same qualities such as Lio. She also encourages her siblings to behave the same way and is the first person who gets her sisters involved in the revolution. She encourages her younger sister, Maria Teresa, to use her voice and praises her when she stands up for her self. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Minerva has many traits as well being brave, outspoken, strategic, intellegent, and passionate. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Minerva seems to be the strong, ambitious sister who is a leader for others, and has a positive attitude towards the future.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">**The Rabbits** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">In the second chapter of the novel, Minerva recalled a story about her past which involved one of her father's rabbits. Day after day, Minerva had watched the poor rabbit stuck in its confined cage almost feeling the pain of the animal. Minerva couldn't help but to relate her self to the rabbit, feeling trapped in the confinement of her house under her father. Minerva found it difficult to bear the feeling of being trapped in such a confined area and eventually decided to set the rabbit free. When Minerva opened the cage however, the rabbit made no effort in escaping from its cage and entering the outer world. Minerva remembered how she kept nudging the animal as if to persuade it to run from its so called "home." The animal was completely content with its cage, reluctant to leave from its provided security; it was at that point that Minerva realized she was nothing like the rabbit.

Dede is the sole survivor who carries on the legacy of her sisters. Though she is not active in the revolution, she still plays a very significant role. She burns Lìo’s letter to Minerva, preventing her from taking a huge risk in joining him in his escape. Though she finds it frightening, Dede remains active in what is going on with her sisters and takes initiative. Dede can be looked at as the protector of her sisters.
 * Dedé**

- Dede is a butterfly like her sisters because she faced the same societal entrapment they experienced. While Dede's is not direct, she would have played a stronger role had Jaimito allowed her to. Dede sees the effects of Trujillo's leadership on her country and believes just as strongly in the movement as her sisters. However, she does not take as much action as her sisters, especially in the beginning of the novel.