Freedom dresses up in many different costumes in In the Time of the Butterflies. It can be a teenaged girl trying to escape from her family's control over her life; it can be a prisoner on a hunger strike in disgusting conditions; it can be a young boy trapped in the seminary where his mother believes he'll be safe from the coming revolution.
Trujillo is not the only one who confines and takes away freedom. Society itself, with its rules about who should be allowed where and when, confines the young and women. The Mirabal sisters break away from this, claiming their political freedom to fight for what they believe in.
Questions About Freedom and Confinement
- Who finally allows Minerva to study law?
- Why is Papá put into jail?
- Why does Patria write to the director of Nelson's school asking him to keep him in during the weekends?
Chew on This
Trujillo manages to get the Dominican people to confine themselves through fear.
Minerva is ultimately motivated by freedom.