"I, who treasured my children more than my own life, couldn't believe my sister would leave her son for anything," (155). Minerva is a bad parent in society's eyes because she doesn't put her children first.



"But she wouldn't budge! She was used to her little pen. I kept slapping her, harder each time, until she started whimpering like a scared child. I was the one hurting her, insisting she be free.
Silly bunny, I thought. You're nothing at all like me." (11).

Minerva was motivated by freedom to do what she wished. We can see her fight for this independence in whatever she does. For example, going to university.

"That moment, I understood her hatred. My family had not been personally hurt by Trujillo... But others had been suffering great losses."
pg 53
Minerva is motivated by the hurt Trujillo is causing to the people around her. She wants to be able to advocate for the people who can't. Minerva is a person who believes people should get rights, opinions, and safety in their own country.

"The others wanted to go ahead and write the damn letter. But I was against it. Thank Trujillo for punishing us!"
pg 261

At a young age, Minerva was very determined and passionate about her goals. Her future goals of becoming a lawyer are often criticized and she stands up for herself.
"Just what we need, skirts in law!" (Mama)
"It is what the country needs." (Minerva)
Pg 10

This is similar to what events influenced Minerva to be who she becomes as her motivation is also what she makes her whole life about. She is told the terrible things Trujillo has done and also witnesses her and her sister's husbands going to jail which motivates her. Minerva is different from the rest in this way and doesn't follow her husband as explained by Dede who didn't speak out because “Back in those days, we women followed our
husbands” and even knew that was "Such a silly excuse. After all, look at Minerva. 'Let’s put it this
way,' Dedé adds. 'I followed my husband. I didn’t get involved'" (pg 171-172). Thus, Minervas motivation came from within and her life experiences rather than a norm or following her husband.

"Trujillo had said that Minerva Maribal was the brain behind the whole movement."
pg 232

Minerva is kind of a leader of the revolution. This stems from her interactions with Trujillo while at school and also her meetings with him about her father. She is the most motivated to take him down and urges others and her sisters to join her. In prison, she hold classes to teach the prisoners and also keeps them motivated.

Minerva was rebellious and of breaking the status quo. She was "sneaking out" (38) of school and planning to become a lawyer (10), both things that women weren't allowed to do.

Minerva from a young age was rebellious as shen snuck out of school and had to have her sister cover for her. She also becomes motivated from a young age to fight against Trujillo based on the stuff that happened at school.

Minerva is motivated by the terrible things that Trujillo has done, trying to end his reign of murder. Her best friend, Sinita, told Minerva how Trujillo killed her family for speaking against Trujillo (18).

Minerva was most rebellious as a child, continuingly sneaking out of school and pushing her family's views.

I don't think Minerva was the best mother based on her leaving her kids to Patria to go and fight in the revolution. She put the revolution over her family.
"I'm going to be on the road a lot. And I'll be coming down here for some meetings every week."
"But Minerva, your own child-"
pg 155

Minerva was close with Maria as they had to hide things for each other and also lied to cover as Minverva was sneaking out of school. She was also ambitious and had to have Mom's help to let her leave Papa and go to school.

"Sometimes I think revolution has become something like a habit for Minerva." (pg 243). How Mate describes Minerva and how she acts during prison.

I think she is mainly motivated by seeing all the people that Trujillo has hurt. She knows what happened to Sinita and Lina and she knows that Trujillo put her father in prison.

"Minerva says a soul is like a deep longing in you that you can never fill
up, but you try. " Describes how her life was shaped as she fought the whole time to fill her soul but never lived to witness it.

Minerva added motivation to the revolution as she was seen as a central figure. Her public disobedience against Trujillo aided in her image of strength as she slapped him and told him she didn't want anything straight to his face.

"Also, we couldn't be free unless everyone else was offered the same opportunity." -Mate talking about Minerva in prison

Give a representative quote about or by Minerva.

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

What did Minerva specifically add to the revolution?

What is Minerva motivated by? Please support yourself.

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

What was Minerva like as a child?