Here is the quote from Ch. 11:
Then everyone was beating on the bars, calling out, ¡Viva la Mariposa! Tears came to my eyes. Something big and powerful spread its wings inside me.
Courage, I told myself. And this time, I felt it. (238)
This quote occurs soon after Minerva fights back against the guards when they try to take her crucifix. They place her in solitary confinement due to this, so the rest of the prisoners, respecting Minerva, call out for her release.
The theme of this quote is obviously Maria Teresa’s courage. She has to remain courageous to stay in the prison while keeping her self-discipline and saneness. She has come close to emotionally breaking down fully, and her courage is all she has to maintain herself. Minerva, with her undying will to resist Trujillo’s regime, is Maria Teresa’s inspiration. This shows that though Minerva has the strongest will and courage, her other sisters, especially Maria Teresa, can draw their courage from her in times like this when it seems all hope is lost. Minerva plays this role throughout the book, being the first to question Trujillo’s regime as well as the heart and soul of the resistance movement against him.
