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Commonlit | the Three Sisters, Avenged: a Dominican Drama

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Commonlit | the Three Sisters, Avenged: a Dominican Drama Name: Class: The Three Sisters, Avenged: A Dominican Drama By Larry Rohter 1997 On November 25, 1960, the assassination of three sisters was order by the dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo. The murder of the three Mirabal sisters sparked a series of events in the Dominican Republic that ultimately resulted in the fall of Trujillo’s regime. Despite the time that has passed since the Mirabal sisters’ murder, the Dominican Republic continues to remember the sisters and show their respect. In this New York Times article, published on February 15, 1997, Larry Rohter explores the persisting legacy of the Mirabal sisters. As you read, take notes on how the Mirabal sisters are remembered. [1] When the dictator Rafael Trujillo had the sisters Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal killed in 1960, he and his minions thought they were finally rid of a threat to both their power and their egos. But history and the Dominican people appear to have found a particularly apt,1 if somewhat belated, way to avenge their assassinations. Members of the next generation of Mirabals are now Vice President and Deputy Foreign Minister. At the same time, a marked change in the political climate has completed the "Jóvenes de El Salvador recuerdan en una marcha a las hermanas transformation of “the Butterflies,” as the sisters Mirabal" by Say NO - UNiTE is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. were known in their days as members of the anti- Trujillo underground, into symbols of both popular and feminist2 resistance. From the beginning, the killing of the three beautiful young sisters, one of whom Trujillo had reportedly coveted3 as a mistress, “had greater effect on Dominicans than most of Trujillo's other crimes,” Bernard Diederich wrote in his book “Trujillo: The Death of the Dictator”: “It did something to their machismo”4 and paved the way for Trujillo's own assassination six months later by some of his own associates. [5] Since their deaths, the Mirabal sisters have been commemorated5 in poems, songs and books, including Julia Alvarez's 1994 novel “In the Time of the Butterflies.” But until six months ago, the question of how and why they died had always had to be treated gingerly6 at the official level. 1. appropriate 2. a person who supports and advocates for women’s rights 3. Covet (verb): to wish to have something 4. strong or aggressive masculine pride 5. Commemorate (verb): to recall and show respect for someone 6. in a cautious manner 1 That was largely because the Dominican Republic's figurehead President in 1960 was Joaquin Balaguer, who served six more terms in office, with real power, before finally being forced to step down last summer, just days before his 90th birthday. “The story was always alive, but the country was unable to come to terms with it so long as he was around,” Ms. Alvarez said. But since last Nov. 25, the 36th anniversary of their death, homages7 to the Mirabal sisters have been increasing. An exhibition of their belongings has been mounted at the National Museum of History and Geography here, a stamp in their memory has been issued and a private foundation is raising money to renovate a family museum in their hometown. “It is important the younger generation know why our democracy must be preserved and why we can never return to the ignominy8 of the past,” Vilma Benzo de Ferrer, director of the museum here, said of the sudden burst of tributes. [10] The most visible manifestation of the Mirabals' vindication9 will soon be on display along the Malecon, the capital's busy seaside promenade. There, a 137-foot obelisk10 that Trujillo put up in his own honor is now enveloped in scaffolding in preparation for installation of a mural with the image of each of the three dead women and their surviving sister, Dede. The project is sponsored by Codetel, the national telephone company, and scheduled to be completed by Feb. 27, Dominican independence day. Ernesto A. Burri, president of the company, said that honoring the Mirabal sisters was a way of eulogizing11 “the struggle of many men and women for Dominican liberty” while atoning for “the ignominious motive that gave birth to this monument.” Dominicans have always regarded the pronouncedly phallic obelisk as a symbol both of the Trujillo dictatorship and the code of machismo by which “the Benefactor” ruled and lived. So its replacement by a mural painted in pastel colors can be seen as “a victory that is not only political but one of gender,” said Minou Tavarez Mirabal, Minerva's daughter. Throughout Latin America, the Mirabals are regarded as feminist icons, a reminder that “we have our revolutionary heroines, our Che Guevaras,12 too,” as Ms. Alvarez put it. The anniversary of their death is now officially commemorated each year as the International Day Against Violence Against Women. As part of a general review of the history curriculum in public schools that is under way here, the Mirabals are also to be given recognition in textbooks as national martyrs.13 [15] The first timid14 efforts to insert them into the curriculum took place a decade ago, but were abandoned after the family objected to having the assassination presented more as a result of Minerva's having refused Trujillo's sexual advances than as a consequence of the sisters' activism. 7. Homage (noun): special honor or respect shown publicly 8. public shame or disgrace 9. Vindicate (verb): to clear someone of blame or suspicion 10. a stone pillar 11. to praise someone 12. an important figure in the Cuban Revolution 13. a person killed because of their beliefs 14. Timid (adjective): showing lack of confidence 2 At the National Palace, Vice President Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal, a 40-year-old physician, works at the same desk that once belonged to Bienvenido Trujillo, brother of “El Jefe”15 and from time to time his puppet President. A cousin of Dr. Fernandez, Nelson Gonzalez Mirabal, a son of Patria's who was raised by Dr. Fernandez's mother, Dede, after the assassination, is his chief aide. Their cousin Minou Tavarez Mirabal was 4 when her mother was shot to death and is now a Deputy Foreign Minister. The ministry is in a mansion that used to be the Trujillo family residence, and Ms. Tavarez Mirabal works out of an office that was formerly the bedroom of the dictator's daughter, Angelita. “I think about it all the time,” Ms. Tavarez Mirabal said when asked if she ever reflects on the historical irony of working in the residence of the man who ordered her mother killed. She has concluded, she said, that her presence in such a place is proof that “we are stronger” than Trujillo. Perhaps even more peculiar is that Dr. Fernandez and President Leonel Fernandez Reyna came to power only as a result of a coalition16 between their party and that of Mr. Balaguer. At their campaign's closing rally last summer, the son of the only surviving Mirabal sister even sat at the side of the man who has described himself as “a courtesan of the Trujillo era” and smiled and conversed amiably17 with him. [20] Some admirers of the Mirabals saw that civility as a betrayal of the family's principles and heritage. The Vice President brushes off the complaints, however, saying he refuses to be “blackmailed by those who think they, not us, are the standard-bearers of the Mirabal sisters.” “Our responsibility is to look to the future, to tomorrow, not to the past,” he said. “Our Government has to be the negation of the past, and cannot give in to the rancors18 of the past. It is not that there are individuals who are guilty, but a system that was guilty.” For her part, Ms. Tavarez Mirabal acknowledged that having to accept an alliance with Mr. Balaguer was “the most difficult moment of my life,” even more than the day her mother died. “But I saw it as the only way to leap from the past, so I don't regret it,” she said. “History is implacable19 and it is history that will judge Balaguer for his behavior.” From The New York Times, February 15, 1997 © 1997 The New York Times. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited. 15. the nickname for Rafael Trujillo 16. an alliance of political parties 17. Amiable (adjective): having or showing a friendly and pleasant manner 18. bitterness or resentfulness 19. unstoppable 3 Text-Dependent Questions Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences. 1. PART A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the article? A. Descendants of the Mirabal sisters have carried on their legacy by taking on political roles and creating positive change in the Dominican Republic. B. The Dominican Republic has failed to adequately honor the Mirabal sisters, as they would rather forget Trujillo’s violent regime. C. Although the Mirabal sisters had a mostly symbolic impact on the country, their descendants and others celebrate their lives today. D. The Mirabal sisters’ murder had an immediate impact on Trujillo’s regime, but their influence and recognition has died out over the years. 2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A? A. “Members of the next generation of Mirabals are now Vice President and Deputy Foreign Minister. At the same time, a marked change in the political climate has completed the transformation of ‘the Butterflies’” (Paragraph 3) B.
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