If we read the book carefully we understand that, although
the sisters were very important figures for the revolution against Trujillo's regime, at
the same time it was only through their death that they were transformed into something
more than that, and became real symbols of resistance against Trujillo, and symbols too
of his cruelty and violence. If we have a look at the final chapter, which records
Dede's memories of what happened after their slaughter, we can see the beginning of this
transformation. Note the following quote and what it tells us about the
sisters:
People came out of their houses. They had
already heard the story we were to pretend to believe. The Jeep had gone off the cliff
on a bad turn. But their faces knew the truth. Many of the men took off their hats, the
women made the sign of the cross. They stood at the very edge of the road, and when the
truck went by, they threw flowers into the bed. By the time we reached Conuco, you
couldn't see the boxes for the wilting blossoms blanketing
them.
Thus it is that the
legend of the Mirabal sisters was created, and, ironically, they became a far more
potent force for freedom through their deaths than they ever did in their lifetime,
gaining a fame and reputation amongst all Dominicans that became a focal point of
resistance.
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