Patria uses her faith and family as a source of courage and motivation. When Captain Peña made a crude comment about Pedrito refusing the offer he was made Patria defended her husband, “I had to say two Glory Be’s to myself …show more content…
Shortly after the iconic slap, Minerva gambles with Trujillo himself in a game of dice, “Quickly I reach for the heavier set of the dice and begin shaking them in my fist. Trujillo studies the wobbling scales. But without my set there, he can’t tell which are his loaded pair.” (Page 115). The stakes are that if Minerva wins she gets to go to law school, and if Trujillo wins, it is implied that he gets to rape Minerva. A tie resolves the conflict, and throughout the whole deal Minerva keeps a level head and chooses her words and actions carefully. When the revolution takes off, Minerva feels a great call to service to her fellow rebels and what she means to them, “‘People look us to be an example, we’ve got responsibility!’ I spoke so fiercely, they looked a little sheepish. My old self was putting on quite a show.” (Page 261). At this point Minerva has been released from her seven months in prison and is severely emotionally drained. Even so, she states that she must continue to lead the people and acts like who she was before prison just to keep the spirit of the revolution. Minerva knew that she was part of something bigger than