Minerva 2nd

"A mind of her own, this little cibaena!" (page 101)

She was a leader in the 14th of June underground movement, becoming a key figure in encouraging and carrying out the revolution. Minerva also went to law school and was well-educated and trained in the revolution, which often helped the legitimacy of the movement. She also added necessary fury to the revolution because of her personal encounters with Trujillo in which he sexually assaulted her.

Minerva is motivated by several things, but mostly she is motivated by her lust for justice, freedom, and revolution itself. In her life, she is motivated by several setbacks and instances such as her useless law degree and her father's affair. She never lets this adversity stop her and still remains opinionated and passionate. For example, upon discovering her father's other family she stated she "[didn't] owe her father a thing... [he'd] lost her respect" (pg. 89). Minerva thrives on revolting and seeking justice, this is just one example.

Minerva is motivated by her passionate opinions and longing for justice. Minerva is a extremely dedicated individual who spoke out for the citizens in the republic that were unable to. Her strong outlooks on the revolution is what would lead the country into success when dealing with Trujillios immoral ruling.

"I am not a woman who has much time for family. But my love for you is as strong as my love for the cause."

Minerva was a good mother in the sense of teaching her children morals and

the importance of standing up for whats right. This was illustrated when she had “hope[d] that you understand that I’ve had to choose a path that is bigger than us, that I’ve had to sacrifice for the greater good.” However, due to her strong opinions and urge conduct activism she wasn’t as present in her children's lives as she could’ve been. Sure she had cared foe there needs however she was incredibly fixated on her revolutionary acts.

I think her and Manolo were not great parents. While they were both by far the most confident and driven characters in the story, dedicated to a noble cause, it did not mean they were confident and driven to be present in their children’s lives, also a noble cause. Giving Patria her children to watch over was very smart and kind as she did not want to endanger her children’s lives but it shows her priorities in that the revolution will always come before herself or her family. After being in prison, she describes her one want is to be home with her children. But in this sense, she is using her children to fulfill her needs, not the other way round. She needs them when she wants them. She isn’t present when they need her.

Minerva is kind of in between. While she was not always the most present in her children's lives, by joining the revolution she was attempting to create a better place for her children. She was also undeniably a major influence on her children. Her daughter, Minou, "had called Trujillo a bad word" and, when she received candy from Captain Peña, Minou says, "This is bad candy" (177, 204). Despite Minerva not mentioning her children as often as the other sisters, she clearly played a major role in their lives.

As a child, Minerva had the desire to be free. In chapter 2, Minerva begs her father to allow her to attend Immaculada Concepción with Patria in order to free herself from her father's grasp. In doing so, she realized that her father's home wasn't the only cage she was trapped in. At school, Minerva learned about Trujillo's corrupt nature and learned about how, despite her disadvantages, there are many people who were less fortunate. This drove her to becoming a revolutionary later. Even though she was only 12 years old when she started at Immaculada, she developed a strong sense of justice and felt the need to create change for others who were trapped, which turned out to be every individual in the Dominican Republic.

One of the most important events in Minerva's life was when she and her school friends performed the play for Trujillo. This was the first time she saw how he was unwilling to let her country be truly free. Sinita's story also is an important event in Minerva's life, as it opens her eyes to how cruel he is for the first time.

Minerva always believed in having more women having a say in the country (pg. 10). She also began participating in revolutionary activities from a young age (pg.39).

Minerva is motivated by her longing for independence. Minerva describes how she feels as though she is trapped in a cage in chapter two and describes how she longs to go to school in order to free herself from her father. Once she discovers how Trujillo is essentially trapping everyone in a cage, she longs for independence from that, not just for herself, but for everyone around her.

As a child, Minerva was just as outspoken as she was in adulthood. In her late childhood we see this exemplified when she slapped Trujillo for becoming too handsy with her (pg. 100)

Minerva added spirit to the revolution. Without her voice and courage, people would not have acted. She would lead patriotic songs in jail, a small act of defiance that brought spirits together. She teaches people how to stay positive and hopeful in such dark times, a lasting impact on Dede that she still practices to her last days alive. She represents the life behind the revolution.

Minerva is supported by the setback she experiences when she received her law degree, but is denied the right to practice by Trujillo (pg. 138). She is angry by El Jefe refusing her the right to use her education, and is empowered by the idea of being an independent woman. She notices that even if she is free from her home, she is stuck in her own country "[leaving] a small cage for a bigger one" (pg. 13). Her desire to be free in her own country pushes her towards the revolution.

Minerva was always a been an outspoken and brave girl. She felt the need to stand up for friends and be brave for them (19), she was loud spoke her mind (pg 16), she was her father’s favorite for the way she challenged him (pg 12), and she always wanted to be free and in the world (going to the Inmaculada)

"We are suffering a setback but we have not been eaten. Liberty or Death!"

"'You're going to fight everyone's fight, aren't you?' 'It's all the same fight, Mamá'" (108).

Minerva is motivated by the desire for power and influence. From a young age, she expresses how she hates being in a cage, she wants to go law school. But she is also motivated by the unlimited. She doesn’t know what she wants (pg 88) she just wants more. She is motivated by injustice and the desire to have a voice in the world.

“Realized that I’d just left a small cage to go into a bigger one, the size of our whole country.”

Minerva is neither a good mother or a bad mother, as she sacrifices the life she could have had with her children for the revolution, but also cares for her children like any other mother. On page 257, she states that she "couldn't think of anything [she] wanted more than to stay home... raising her children." However, this is after she gets back from prison at this point and is exhausted by fighting for the revolution. It could be argued, however, that she isn't a present mother due to the fact that she refuses her pardon, prolonging her to see and take care of her children.

Was Minerva a good mother? Support yourself with evidence from the text.

What was Minerva like as a child?

What events in Minerva's life influenced the woman she became?

What did Minerva specifically add to the revolution?

What is Minerva motivated by? Please support yourself.

Give a representative quote about or by Minerva.

Minervas up bringing was a result of her father’s previous presence. Her father had treated all of his daughters with respect and equality unlike Trujillos treatment of his citizens. Minerva had been taught and been shown this equality from a young age resulting in her desire for a just society.

In my opinion, minerva was a good wife. Minerva and Manolo would often butt head’s considering their strong opinionated personalities. Minerva however, tended to be very independent contradicting the typical dependency relationships usually have. Them both being imprisoned showed how Minerva would go the extra mile to ensure Manolo was doing well. Manolo and Minerva wwre extremely like minded as well which definitely flared up disagreements between the two. However, Minerva seemed to love and respect Manolo arguably making her a good wife.

I think Minerva was a good wife, but not in the sense that she loved Manolo. She was a good wife because she felt secure in being able to stand by someone that fought for the same things as her. It was very fitting that Manolo died trying to continue another revolution. They were perfect for each other. However, because they were basically the same person, we didn’t get opportunities to see how they acted during arguments or if they had different opinions. Times of hardship and disconnect are the best time to determine if their relationship is actually strong. The closest we get to this is when they are first married and Manolo is seeing another woman. they talk through it and get over it, but to what degree or how, the reader does not know.

Minerva first realized she lived in a corrupt world and wanted to do something about it when she went to Immaculanda and met Sinita. She felt the need to be brave and stand up for Sinita when she was mande fun of. She first realized Trujilo was not the man everyone claimed him to be when Sinita told her about the horrible things he had done to her family. I think Leo had a strong influence on her as well as she found someone that took risks and initiative, something she didn’t have exemplified around her. This allowed her to be more confident in what she believed and did.

Minerva is a good wife. While her and Manolo have hardships, including infidelity on Manolo's part, Minerva chose to work through it and continue to help him through his imprisonment and her own. Arguably, though I do not necessarily agree with her decision, her staying with Manolo despite his infidelity reflects how her society viewed a "good wife". Minerva has a sense of independence that allows her to not be controlled by Manolo alone, but was also willing to cooperate and not end her marriage, showing her true strength.

Minerva being such an encouraging and strong minded individual adds dedication to the revolution. When there is a clear leader archetype, in this case Minerva, people in this revolution are immediately drawn to her intelligent and powerful attitude. Minerva would push through merits and demerits due to her commitment to the freedom of her country.

Minerva was one of the major voices in the revolution. She had a unique confidence that allowed her to always stick to her beliefs and not allow others to control her actions and thoughts. While sometimes harsh, Minerva motivated other people to keep striving to do what is right and not give up on hoping for a free country.

The first major event that influenced her to be more outspoken about her beliefs was meeting Sinita at Immaculada. Sinita told her the truth about Trujillo and urged her to learn more about the corrupt nature of the way he ruled. The party she was invited to by Trujillo was also a major influence. Minerva got to experience first-hand what others said Trujillo was doing and proceeded to be targeted by Trujillo because of the way she and her family acted, even though they did not do anything wrong. I believe the most influential experience was her meeting such a diverse group of women while in prison. While Minerva had a strong sense of justice already, being in prison showed her the extent to which Trujillo's corruption impacts all people, not just those who are as outspoken as her.

Minerva added the spirit of courage to the revolution. The reader is told that she was constantly put in solitary in prison for keeping the morale up, singing and teaching the girls in her "little school".

Minerva is a good wife in the fact that she stays by her husbands side during the revolution, and she visits him in prison. She is also willing to figure out how many cells are left for him, as she does what he asks of her on page 267. However, she does not hold him accountable for cheating on her, but his may also be more due to the time period than her desire to hold him accountable.

Was Minerva a good wife? Support yourself.