In the Time of the Butterflies: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

(House Arrest: August and September) Minerva is the narrator again, beginning just after her release from prison. All her life she has wanted to escape her family’s house, but now she is put under house arrest and it seems like a blessing in disguise. Nothing seems better to her than to be with her sisters and mother, raising her children.

At first it is hard for Minerva to adjust to life at home after spending so much time in solitary confinement. She often goes to her room to be alone, and feels herself falling apart. She is surprised at how much braver she was able to be in prison.

She and Mate are only allowed to go out twice a week – once to visit their husbands in prison and once to go to church. Minerva is a celebrity now, and even the priest whispers “Viva la Mariposa!” to her as he gives her Communion. Ironically Minerva feels weaker than ever at this point, but she puts on a brave face, knowing that her performance as her “old self” is important to the public.

Minerva is especially disturbed by Peña’s visits, and she tries to hide from him until Mamá fetches her. The children get used to Peña and start calling him “Uncle.” One day Peña gathers everyone and says that Trujillo is planning a visit to the province, so it would be nice if the sisters wrote him a letter thanking him for releasing them from prison.

After Peña leaves the sisters argue about the letter – Minerva doesn’t want to do it, but eventually she is convinced by the other sisters. Mate has started standing up for herself much more. Minerva signs the letter but angrily demands that they take some kind of action. That night she goes out and complains to the guards and spies outside the house for being too loud. As she leaves they say “Viva Trujillo!” and after a long pause Minerva makes herself say it too.

Minerva talks about her old friend Elsa, who had married a journalist assigned to the National Palace. He had once been put in prison for printing a picture showing some of Trujillo’s bare leg, and once for accidentally calling a “eulogy” for Trujillo an “elegy.” Elsa and her husband had originally declined to join the underground, but now Elsa visits Minerva whenever possible.

One day Elsa brings news that the OAS has imposed sanctions on Trujillo’s regime. Many American countries, including the U.S., have broken off relations with the Dominican Republic. Elsa is excited about this, and she talks to Minerva about Trujillo’s overthrow. Elsa wants to reminisce, but she retells the story of their school play so that it was Minerva shooting the imaginary arrow at Trujillo, not Sinita. Minerva reminds her of the truth, but Elsa brushes it off. Elsa continues to praise Minerva for her bravery, but inside Minerva feels weak and cowardly.

The sisters get dressed up to visit their men in prison and tell them the good news about the sanctions. Dedé tries to guilt them into not going, saying that they are asking for an “accident” by all going together, but the sisters laugh at her melodrama. As they drive off she sobs “I don’t want to have to live without you.”

Everyone is hopeful at the prison, but Manolo looks less excited than the rest. Some of his teeth are broken off. He asks Minerva for information about the resistance, but she has no news to give him, as she is just as cut off as he is. She has to put on her “performance” even for Manolo, and pretend that she is still involved.

Minerva believes that Trujillo will fall soon, as almost everyone has turned against him now, but Trujillo instead seems to use his lack of accountability to act out even more. Some young men distribute leaflets about an uprising, and the SIM capture all of them. The sisters also have their visiting rights to the prison inexplicably revoked.

When the sisters finally get to visit their husbands again, Manolo tells Minerva that “it’s over.” Many male prisoners have been killed lately, and Manolo has no hope for his own survival. He insists on saying goodbye to Minerva. On the drive home the driver comments that “the butterflies are sad today,” which makes Minerva suddenly regain her courage and fierceness. She discovers that adversity is what gives her strength, and she starts working to save the men.

(Saving the Men: October) It is a few weeks later, and the sisters (including Dedé) are riding with their favorite driver, Rufino. They are going to visit another “political,” a doctor named Delia, and Dedé is very nervous about it. Delia is nervous too when they arrive, but they pretend that they are there about their “cycles.” Minerva talks in code to Delia, and is shocked to hear that the old resistance cells are dead and Sina has abandoned the struggle. The only active member Delia can name is Dr. Pedro Viñas.

When they get home Peña gets angry at them for leaving without his permission, but he eventually agrees to let Minerva see Dr. Viñas, who is a urologist and not known as a political. Patria and Mate drop her off at a house where the doctor supposedly works. Dr. Viñas and his maid all use cutesy diminutives when talking, which makes Minerva shudder, but when Dr. Viñas is finally alone with Minerva he becomes serious.

Viñas says that the “picnic” was almost ready, but then the Americans pulled out because they were afraid the revolutionaries were Communists. The Americans distrust any idealists, and would prefer a Trujillo to a Castro. They are now working with some of Trujillo’s “old cronies” who want to overthrow El Jefe. Their only ideal is money, so the Americans feel that they can control them. Minerva is displeased at this solution, but Viñas says all she can do is keep up her hope and be a good example to the country. Hopefully the revolutionaries can step in after Trujillo is killed.

Minerva visits Manolo and tells him the news, and he too is worried about the Americans taking over the revolution and the country. Minerva feels that she is so desperate to get rid of Trujillo at this point that she doesn’t care how it happens. Manolo’s mother offers to buy their old house so they can return there when things settle down, but soon afterward the SIM seize the property.

Minerva and Dedé take the trip to go retrieve Minerva’s possessions from her property. Minerva is pleased to have some alone time with Dedé, and to convince her that the roads aren’t full of murderers. Suddenly they are stopped by guards and ordered out of the cab. Dedé immediately says that she is Minerva Mirabal, trying to protect the real Minerva.

The sisters and Rufino are taken to a guardhouse. An official explains that they need an escort, for when the local townspeople heard that Minerva Mirabal was coming they planned “some sort of commotion.” The man asks which one is Minerva, and Dedé admits that she was only trying to protect her “little sister.” Minerva decides that the official is a frightened man at heart, so she mentions Peña’s name confidently. His resulting terror is like a window into the “rotten weakness at the heart of Trujillo’s system.”

After that they reach Minerva’s house without trouble, and gather up her things. It is heartbreaking for her to go through her old belongings – a book Lío gave her, Mate’s souvenir from the Discovery Day dance, and a picture of Lina Lovatón.

When she leaves the house, Minerva sees over a hundred people dressed in black in the town square. Suddenly trucks of guards roll in. Minerva walks silently into the square, and after a moment the crowd disbands. Minerva goes back to the house and is surprised to see Dedé outside with a frying pan, ready to fight if need be.

When they return home, Mate is upset because she has had her old nightmare about Papá’s death, but with Leandro, Manolo, and Pedrito in the coffin. That same night their uncle arrives and says he has been to a reception honoring Trujillo, as El Jefe finally visited the province. At the reception Trujillo had told his admirers that he had only two problems: “the damn church and the Mirabal sisters.” Their Uncle Pepe says that this was a warning to them, and they should consider not going out at all for a while.

The next day the sisters make their required stop at SIM headquarters, and Peña asks to see them. He makes a lewd proposition that infuriates Minerva, but Patria defuses the situation. Peña informs them that their husbands are being transferred from the capital to a prison in the North. The sisters are angry, but Peña says it will be less distance for the “butterflies” to go. Minerva realizes that she can’t even save herself, much less the men.

(Talk of the people, Voice of God: November 25, 1960) Minerva now describes their fourth trip to visit the men in the northern prison. Rufino is driving, and they have to take a deserted mountain road to get there. On the way they pick up a young soldier who is hitchhiking. He claims to be on his way to meet his newborn son.

As they drive Minerva laments how the “butterflies” have fallen from their old dreams of fighting and revolution. Now they are all scared of the mountain road and the rocks below. Minerva talks to the young soldier, who seems nervous. He says he has heard a rumor that the two “politicals” in the northern prison will be shipped back to the capital soon.

A storm starts up, and the sisters ask if Rufino wants to stop driving, but he reassures them that he is fine. The young soldier affirms this with “God and Trujillo willing.” This is the first time all three sisters have ridden together, as Pedrito is still at the capital so Patria usually doesn’t come along. Before they left Mamá and Dedé had warned them of the danger of all three traveling together, but Minerva had laughed off their worries.

The sisters take a brief detour to get sewing supplies, as they have started a sewing business from their home. They splurge and each buy a new purse too. The salesman recognizes them and warns them about going over the mountain pass today. He puts his business card in Minerva’s purse as she takes it.

They keep driving, and then see Peña’s car and fear an ambush. Patria starts to pray, but Minerva tells Rufino to keep driving. To keep themselves calm the sisters methodically transfer the contents of their purses, but then Minerva sees that the salesman’s business card says “avoid the pass” on it. She suddenly realizes that they are about to be ambushed, and that the young hitchhiking soldier is a plant.

They keep driving but there is no incident, and Minerva feels more optimistic. The sisters tell jokes and riddles, and finally they reach Puerto Plata, the town where the prison is located. They visit the men and Manolo looks better, but he hasn’t heard anything about being moved back to the capital. He urges Minerva not to go back tonight, but she is reassured by the weather clearing. They say their goodbyes and the men are taken away.

On the way back they stop at a gas station and Minerva tries to call Mamá, but the line is busy. They delay and keep trying, and Minerva and Rufino have a beer. Minerva tries one last time, but the line is still busy. Patria is worried about going on, as the road looks especially deserted, but Minerva wants to keep going. Patria is finally reassured by seeing a Public Works truck drive ahead of them – at least they won’t be alone on the road.

The sisters decide to drive on, and they feel optimistic with the truck in front of them. Minerva feels almost as if they are girls again, “a little afraid, a little excited by our fears,” and they make their way up the first mountain.