Questions & Essay Topics
Discussion Questions:
o What are the sisters’ different qualities?
- Patria is the oldest sister, then Dede, then Minerva, and Maria Teresa is the youngest. Patria is very religious and keeps to herself. She is also the simplest, and the friendliest. Dede is the only survivor of the sisters. She is very family orientated, the most stable, and is seen as the sister who will be the most successful. Dede has her life planned out as well as what she is going to accomplish. Minerva is the troublemaker. She is outspoken, daring, and does not hesitate to speak out against the government. She influences her sisters’ view on the government. She wants to become a lawyer so that she can change the government. She likes when life comes as a surprise. Maria Teresa is very innocent, shy, and looks up to her sisters. She is very bright, skipped a grade, and tries to act older.
o Do you think it is a good idea to have the national underground?
- Having a national underground is a good idea because it can help the people in the Dominican Republic gain freedom and become free from the harsh dictatorship. It was about time people took a stand against Trujillo and tried to make a difference. It is also a bad idea and a risky move that Minerva and Maria Teresa make because if Trujillo and the government catch them, they can go to prison or get killed by Trujillo. Also, if the entire national underground gets caught and destroyed, the whole country's hope is destroyed as well.
o Why do you think that Minerva helped her father’s other children, even though her dad had an affair with another women?
- We think that Minerva helped them and gave them half of their inheritance because she felt that in that society, men are valued more than women are and men have a right to do that. When Minerva looked at the girls, she saw herself and as if they were part of her family. She knew that they did not go to school and were not getting an education, so she wanted them to have the same opportunity as she had attending a university.
o Do you think it was a good idea for the sisters to refuse their pardons from jail?
- We think it was a good idea for the sisters to refuse their pardons for jail. Their time in jail changed them for the better and helped to make them stronger. Minerva especially became stronger and found her way as a leader. The sisters' time in jail also made them more compassionate towards people. Overall, it was a good idea for the sisters to refuse their pardons because they were standing by their belief of equality. It would be hypocritical if the sisters accepted their pardons because they were fighting for equality and not everyone was offered a pardon.
o In the end, did Dede benefit from staying out of the revolution?
- Dede both did and did not benefit from staying out of the revolution. She benefited because she was the one who survived, unlike her sisters. Dede’s survival led her to be able to see the changes made in the Dominican Republic due to her sisters’ efforts. She got to see the end of Trujillo’s reign and the first election for leader; Dede got to know that her sisters did not risk everything for nothing. However, Dede did not benefit from staying out of the revolution because she had to live with the guilt of being the only sister to survive. She also was given the responsibility of taking care of her sisters’ children. Lastly, Dede did not benefit from staying out of the revolution because she had to live with the constant fame of being the one survivor. With this fame, Dede had to relive the horrible deaths of her sisters every time she had to hear someone’s story about how her sisters died.
Essay Topics
o What are the sisters’ different qualities?
- Patria is the oldest sister, then Dede, then Minerva, and Maria Teresa is the youngest. Patria is very religious and keeps to herself. She is also the simplest, and the friendliest. Dede is the only survivor of the sisters. She is very family orientated, the most stable, and is seen as the sister who will be the most successful. Dede has her life planned out as well as what she is going to accomplish. Minerva is the troublemaker. She is outspoken, daring, and does not hesitate to speak out against the government. She influences her sisters’ view on the government. She wants to become a lawyer so that she can change the government. She likes when life comes as a surprise. Maria Teresa is very innocent, shy, and looks up to her sisters. She is very bright, skipped a grade, and tries to act older.
o Do you think it is a good idea to have the national underground?
- Having a national underground is a good idea because it can help the people in the Dominican Republic gain freedom and become free from the harsh dictatorship. It was about time people took a stand against Trujillo and tried to make a difference. It is also a bad idea and a risky move that Minerva and Maria Teresa make because if Trujillo and the government catch them, they can go to prison or get killed by Trujillo. Also, if the entire national underground gets caught and destroyed, the whole country's hope is destroyed as well.
o Why do you think that Minerva helped her father’s other children, even though her dad had an affair with another women?
- We think that Minerva helped them and gave them half of their inheritance because she felt that in that society, men are valued more than women are and men have a right to do that. When Minerva looked at the girls, she saw herself and as if they were part of her family. She knew that they did not go to school and were not getting an education, so she wanted them to have the same opportunity as she had attending a university.
o Do you think it was a good idea for the sisters to refuse their pardons from jail?
- We think it was a good idea for the sisters to refuse their pardons for jail. Their time in jail changed them for the better and helped to make them stronger. Minerva especially became stronger and found her way as a leader. The sisters' time in jail also made them more compassionate towards people. Overall, it was a good idea for the sisters to refuse their pardons because they were standing by their belief of equality. It would be hypocritical if the sisters accepted their pardons because they were fighting for equality and not everyone was offered a pardon.
o In the end, did Dede benefit from staying out of the revolution?
- Dede both did and did not benefit from staying out of the revolution. She benefited because she was the one who survived, unlike her sisters. Dede’s survival led her to be able to see the changes made in the Dominican Republic due to her sisters’ efforts. She got to see the end of Trujillo’s reign and the first election for leader; Dede got to know that her sisters did not risk everything for nothing. However, Dede did not benefit from staying out of the revolution because she had to live with the guilt of being the only sister to survive. She also was given the responsibility of taking care of her sisters’ children. Lastly, Dede did not benefit from staying out of the revolution because she had to live with the constant fame of being the one survivor. With this fame, Dede had to relive the horrible deaths of her sisters every time she had to hear someone’s story about how her sisters died.
Essay Topics
- Why do you think the Mirabal sisters sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their country?
- What makes a person go against society and rebel against the accepted beliefs?
- How does the role of women in society change?