The Most Heroic Character In In The

Time Of The Butterflies Essay, Research Paper

In the Time of The Butterflies: Who is the True Heroine Among the Four.

For many years, the definition of a hero has been vague and unclear. People with different perspectives worshiped their own heroes. From a businessman’s eyes, a hero may be someone who can come with brilliant idea, in contrast, patriots may praise the ones who are willing to sacrifice for the nation. However, from the contradiction of thousands of unique thoughts, a common ground can be drawn between them. That is, a hero is not being what he can be nor being more than what he can be, but to be what she never thought he could possibly be. Not long since, a teacher, an image that is traditionally thought to be soft, who does not employ to protect the students’ lives with his, was shot because he was trying to save the students from the bloody claw of the shooters, he was admired greatly. In the same situation, if replaced the teacher with a police officer, he will also be admired, but not as greatly as the teacher. This is because he was trained that way, he has the responsibility, he has prepared to sacrifice therefore, the courage he has paid is far less compare to a teacher who was trained to teach. The similar situation has happened in the novel In the Time of the Butterflies. All four but one Mirbal Sisters have prepared to sacrifice. But there is one, the only exception, the only unsung heroine among the four, the one who was trained to be the traditional housekeeper, the one who lived unwillingly after all three sisters are gone, and her name is Dede.

There is one common Chinese saying: one’s lifetime character is determined by the age of three, after that, it is much easier to move the mountain than to change it. In simple words, it is nearly impossible to change the personality of someone no matter what kind of effort has been paid. In the novel, Minerva is born with intelligence and stubbornness, Maria has a curious and dependable personality, and Patria represents the generosity and calmness. Throughout the story, their characters have not changed dramatically, and because of those characteristics they are expected to be heroines, to be the ones that stand up and speak loud. However, only Dede, a role model of a traditional woman, supposing doll for the man has changed. Even her father comments her “She’ll bury us all in silk and pearls, yes, for sure, our Dede here is going to be the millionaire of the family.” Nevertheless, changes do not come byitself, but come through numerous struggles between the family value and the revolution. For most of the time, she has valued family as a more important factor in her life. Should she be blamed for her so-called woman’s selfishness and weakness. No, a good wife should be responsible for both her husband and children. Since the revolutionists are treated cruelly once they are caught, she may even bring the whole family into terrible tragedies. That is just too much of a risk for her at that point of her life, she wants to join the revolution but simply she can’t. The opinion on what she has done varies according to different point of view. From a radical perspective, she is surely a loser, but from a traditional perspective, what she has done, being honest with husband, and taking care of the children is absolutely honorable. Although, she changed from a “waiter” to an “actor”, what she has done so far is enough to make her a heroine in a traditional way.

No doubt that Minerval has put tremendous effort on her accomplishment. However, compare to Dede’s effort, that has become insignificant. Dede has thick mental obstacles to overcome while Minerva almost has none. Needless to say, Dede deserves the admires more because she pays more effort. If there is a student who used to earn good grades and he gets A in the test. While there is another student who used to fail every test he has taken and also gets an A. Who should deserve more praising from the others, the A student or the F student. Most of the people will say the F student is more honorable because he has paid triple efforts and time to overcome the difficulties and accomplish the same goal as the A student accomplishes. The similar situation happens in the novel. Dede, unlike the other three sisters, with a little rebellious mind in her has been expected to be a good wife by the other people. She has to walk a much longer journey before she reaches the level of the other three sisters, the level where she will stand up for herself against Trujillo.

Although the changes in her are gradual and nonviolent, from obeying every word her husband says to divorce with her husband, she has to defeat many moral standards within herself. Her courageous action has influenced much greater than what she and everybody else thinks, especially in such a traditional country where woman obeys man has become the rule. Dare the other sisters take the same action if they are Dede. In the last chapter of Minerva, when they are checked by the soldiers, Dede is the one that steps up as a wing-opened butterfly. She tries to protect her sister who always teases her old-fashioned mind all the time, and proclaims “My name is Minerva.” Although she murmurs it out with a soft tone and a little bit of scare, but the courage and effort for a passive little girl to become a heroine with little fear is much more respectful than someone who accomplishes th