Of all the Mirabel sisters, Minerva is by far the most confrontational. She has no fear and stands up to anyone, no matter what his or her position of power is. Often her rash actions are a hindrance to her purpose. Additionally, her purpose changes constantly, making it near impossible for people to control her. As Minerva changes from a loyal servant to a rebel, some things do not change. Minerva is highly confrontational and as a result will fight any fight, though the revolution is just a convenient one.
In her first stories, Minerva constantly fights with her father. She says, “I has the one always standing up to him.” (alvarez 12) She is talking about her father. Everything is a constant argument with her, and she never lets up, always finding new angles until she achieves her goals. When she is a loyal citizen in her innocence, she “defended Trujillo”(alvarez 18) even before Sinita had finished her stories. Her loyalty begins to ever so slightly waver, but her love of the fight is constant throughout her first chapter.
As her cause develops, Minerva will not decide that discretion is the better part of valor in any situation. As she is invited to a private party, and as she is dancing with Trujillo, she feels threatened, not awed, by his power, and when he exercises his power to feel Minerva, he receives a swift slap. Such a reaction is extreme to say the least for any other human being, and Trujillo just shakes his head in wonder at her ferocity. Her action has not helped her revolutionary cause and in fact has dealt her cause as ferocious a blow as she dealt Trujillo face. She slapped him because she relishes the fight, and the art of the fight. The revolution is just another way of fighting, and one that she is wary of because she does not yet know how to win.
The Essay on Freedoms Abuse Trujillo People Power
... is invited to a private party thrown by Trujillo, Minerva is requested to attend. Even though she does ... is overpowering." (Pg 98) At the party, Trujillo asks Minerva to dance; he takes her forcefully without ... government from abusing its power, they will sacrifice their lives to achieve social change. Almost all the ... or what you believe in, you must fight for it, and sometimes that even means ...
Her revolution continues with her attempts at getting the men out of prison. She has now lost her innocence completely and if given the chance would in a second topple the regime she loved in her youth and first chapter. Of course she wants the men to be out of prison, but whenever she goes to get them out she fights to free them with every angle imaginable, fencing with very precise and thought out wording, and using her sex appeal to her advantage. If she gave herself to Trujillo she would get anything she wanted including the men free. Instead, she chooses to fight, instead of just using any and all means to accomplish her task. She relishes in her fight to free the men, without being totally committed to that task.
Minerva continuously fights for the revolutionary cause with a fervor that defies logic. The truth of the matter is that the revolutionary cause is a vehicle for her to exercise her want to fight others. Her desire to be a lawyer only shows her love of a good argument. When she rolls the dice to go to law school, she relishes in her confrontation finally being fair, “…my voice shaking” (Alvarez 115).
It is clear that she is excited, and from what we know of Minerva, she has little fear until after prison. Her love of confrontation in an effort to do what is right is more important than the revolution itself to her.
