Courage in the characters of in the time of the butterflies         
   
            In the book, In the time of the butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the theme courage is very prominent. Each character displays courage in their own way throughout the story. The most obviously courageous character in the story is Minerva. She leads the resistance against the regime and encourages others to join. She also defends herself and her friends from Trujillo's attitudes and policies. By standing up to him, a powerful and deadly dictator, she is exhibiting a lack of fear as well as courage and a drive to do what is right despite the consequences. Dede seems to be quite the opposite of Minerva. She is the one who never joins the rebellion and is pushed around by her husband. Dede however, is loyal to her sisters, husband, and family. The way Dede shows courage is by being there for the people who need her and putting up with many things just for other people's sake. Maria Teresa helps out with the rebellion and has to put up with being in prison. Even though she is much more of a follower than a leader, she took a leap of faith when she decided to cover up for Minerva's sneaking out and ultimately join the rebellion. Patria shows courage to herself and therefore to the reader through her thoughts. She starts off by deciding not to become a nun but marry Pedrito. Then, they decide to join the rebellion. She has to deal with many hardships like losing her child and her sisters being in prison. Patria is very religious and ultimately her courage comes from her faith. They all help each other out and they are not afraid to sacrifice for one another as seen when Dede states that she is Minerva in from of the police. Their courage comes from their loyalty to each other, the people around them, and their country.