UNIT 5 - Lecture notes 4 PDF

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UNIT 5: Intellectual legacies of Jose Rizal’s Writings 5.1 Noli Me Tangere 5.1.1 About the Novel Written in Spanish and published in 1887, José Rizal‘s Noli Me Tangere played a crucial role in the political history of the Philippines. Drawing from experience, the conventions of the nineteenth-century novel, and the ideals of European liberalism, Rizal offered up a devastating critique of a society under Spanish colonial rule. The plot revolves around Crisostomo Ibarra, mixed-race heir of a wealthy clan, returning home after seven years in Europe and filled with ideas on how to better the lot of his countrymen. Striving for reforms, he is confronted by an abusive ecclesiastical hierarchy and a Spanish civil administration by turns indifferent and cruel. The novel suggests, through plot developments, that meaningful change in this context is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. The death of Ibarra‘s father, Don Rafael, prior to his homecoming, and the refusal of a Catholic burial by Padre Damaso, the parish priest, provokes Ibarra into hitting the priest, for which Ibarra is excommunicated. The decree is rescinded, however, when the governor general intervenes. The friar and his successor, Padre Salvi, embody the rotten state of the clergy. Their tangled feelings—one paternal, the other carnal—for Maria Clara, Ibarra‘s sweetheart and rich Capitan Tiago‘s beautiful daughter, steel their determination to spoil Ibarra‘s plans for a school. The town philosopher Tasio wryly notes similar past attempts have failed, and his sage commentary makes clear that all colonial masters fear that an enlightened people will throw off the yoke of oppression. Precisely how to accomplish this is the novel‘s central question, and one which Ibarra debates with the mysterious Elias, with whose life his is intertwined. The privileged Ibarra favors peaceful means, while Elias, who has suffered injustice at the hands of the authorities, believes violence is the only option. Ibarra‘s enemies, particularly Salvi, implicate him in a fake insurrection, though the evidence against him is weak. Then Maria Clara betrays him to protect a dark family secret, public exposure of which would be ruinous. Ibarra escapes from prison with Elias‘s help and confronts her. She explains why, Ibarra forgives her, and he and Elias flee to the lake. But chased by the Guardia Civil, one dies while the other survives. Convinced Ibarra‘s dead, Maria Clara enters the nunnery, refusing a marriage arranged by Padre Damaso. Her unhappy fate and that of the more memorable Sisa, driven mad by the fate of her sons, symbolize the country‘s condition, at once beautiful and miserable. Using satire brilliantly, Rizal creates other memorable characters whose lives manifest the poisonous effects of religious and colonial oppression. Capitan Tiago; the social climber Doña Victorina de Espadaña and her toothless Spanish husband; the Guardia Civil head and his harridan of a wife; the sorority of devout women; the

disaffected peasants forced to become outlaws: in sum, a microcosm of Philippine society. In the afflictions that plague them, Rizal paints a harrowing picture of his beloved but suffering country in a work that speaks eloquently not just to Filipinos but to all who have endured or witnessed oppression. 5.1.2 The Making of Noli Me Tangere One of the great books written by our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, is Noli Me Tangere. It is a Latin word meaning "Touch Me Not". This book is a societal novel. He started writing it in Madrid, Spain on 1884, continued in Paris, France and was finished in Berlin, Germany on February 1887. Noli Me Tangere was dedicated to his Inang Bayan, the Philippines. The history stated in the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of Hariet Beecher Stowe, that tells the suffering of Negro slaves under the cruelty of the Americans, gave our hero the idea in writing this book. He saw the similarity of this to the cruelty experienced by the Filipinos under the Spanish rule. This was published at Imprenta Lette in Berlin, Germany on March 1887 by the help of Dr. Maximo Viola. As a thanks, Dr. Rizal gave the original manuscript and the PLUMA he used in writing the novel to Dr. Viola. 5.1.3 Objectives in Writing Noli Me Tangere In another letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt, Rizal described what he expects when the novel will be in circulation. Finally, he pointed out his primary objective:    

to defend Filipino people from foreign accusations of foolishness and lack of knowledge; to show how the Filipino people lives during Spanish colonial period and the cries and woes of his countrymen against abusive officials; to discuss what religion and belief can really do to everyday lives; and to expose the cruelties, graft, and corruption of the false government at honestly show the wrongdoings of Filipinos that led to further failure.

But the real objective of Rizal in writing Noli Me Tangere is not to free our country, he just wants Philippines to be part of Spain as described in Chapter 2 as Crisostomo Ibarra says that Spain is his second home. 5.2 El Filibusterismo 5.2.1 About the Novel The second and last novel completed by José Rizal (though he left behind the unfinished manuscript of a third one), El Filibusterismo is a sequel to Noli Me Tangere. It comes from the word "filibustero" which means a person who is against the Roman Catholic. A dark, brooding, at times satirical novel of revenge, unfulfilled love, and tragedy, the Fili (as it is popularly referred to) still has as its protagonist Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra. Thirteen years older, his idealism and youthful dreams shattered, and taking advantage of the belief that he died at the end of Noli Me

Tangere, he is disguised as Simoun, an enormously wealthy and mysterious jeweler who has gained the confidence of the colony’s governor-general. In disguise, he travels the world amazing wealth, which he intends to use to topple the corrupt and abusive regime in his native land. But Simoun's real motive is personal. He wants to rescue his beloved, Maria Clara, from the convent and avenge the death of his father. In a forest on Christmas Eve, Basilio, a medical student recognizes Simoun's true identity as the man who helped bury his mother Sisa more than ten years before, under a tree. Simoun is in the forest to retrieve the gems he buried near Sisa's grave. As the film progresses, all the secrets and intrigues are revealed, and the plotters' plan fails. A good Filipino priest throws Simoun's jewels away, thereby eliminating the greed, violence and other evils they might have provoked. 5.2.2 The Making of El Filibusterismo He started writing it on 1890 in London, England and was finished in Brussels, Belgium on 1891. This was dedicated to the "Three Martyrs", GomBurZa (Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jose Burgos, Fr. Jacinto Zamora). Dr. Rizal believed that the three martyrs was only a victim of cruelty and loss of justice. They was blamed, with a Sgt. Lamadrid, to be the leader of Cavite Mutiny on January 1872 and sentenced by garote on February that year. El Filibusterismo was first published in a publication company in Ghent, Belgium. The publication of the book were stopped because of financial problem. By the help of Dr. Valentin Ventura, the publication resumed and was finished on September 1891. As a favor, Dr. Rizal gave the original manuscript of the novel with an autographed copy of the book....