How Does Rafael Trujillo Show Courage

Rafael Trujillo served as the dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until he was assassinated in 1961. Some of the most vocal and well known opponents of Trujillo were the Mirabal sisters: Minerva, Patria, Dedé, and Mate. Trujillo murdered three of the girls, leaving Dedé as the only survivor because she wasn’t in the car with them. Dedé is equally as courageous as her revolutionary sisters; she just demonstrates bravery in different ways: standing up to her husband when it matters the most, living with the guilt of leading an “easy” life while her sisters were suffering, and carrying on the legacy of her sisters. Dedé rarely exhibits agency in her marriage, but she confronts her husband when she’s had enough. Dedé’s marriage isn’t perfect …show more content…
Courage! The. It was the first time [I] had used that to [my]self and understood exactly what it meant” (1988). Dedé finds courage and uses it to carry herself and the burdens her sisters have left her as well. She cares for her sisters’ children and fights for them in the capital, all while she has her own battle at home. Dedé struggles externally as well as internally. Patria – whose husband and son have been arrested – gets a rare moment alone with Dedé and is able to see her inner conflict. “I could read a sister’s heart even if it was hidden behind a practiced smile” (211). Patria recognizes that Dedé is struggling at home, but also that she feels guilty. Regardless of her problems at home, she is still with her husband and children, and all of her other sisters have been separated from their loved ones. It weighs heavily on Dedé, but she shows her bravery again by carrying on and absorbing many of her sisters’ responsibilities. After Dedé’s sisters are killed, she exhibits great bravery by carrying their legacy, even when she doesn’t want to. Driving back home with her sisters’ coffins in the back of a pickup truck, she’s had

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