I am a butterfly and you wouldn't let me die

"Las Mariposas" was the underground nickname of the Mirabal sisters during the revolution. Whether or not the codename was given by chance, it serves as an appropriate metaphor for the girls. The first thing I associate butterflies with is metamorphosis. Through the course of In the Time of the Butterflies we watch the girls blossom from little girls to leaders of an underground revolution. Each girl had their unique voyage and a turning point where they come to acknowledge their calling. Minerva changed the earliest of the girls, realizing she was unsatisfied with "El Jefe" while still in school. The others followed as Trujillo struck closer to home with every blow. The last of the girls to change was Dede. She did not realize her role in the revolution until, unfortunately, her sisters died. Then she realized she was to be their voice from the grave, the last of the beloved butterflies. Watching the girls grow made me really sympathize with them even more. They began as four normal young girls growing up in the Dominican Republic and transformed into much more.

The title of the post is from Something Corporate's Me and the Moon; you can see more of those lyrics on my song post.