Hist 10 Module 8
Hist 10 Module 8
Hist 10 Module 8
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, you are able to:
1. Compare the plot and theme of two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo.
2. Value the important role of the youth in the development of new
generation for the future Philippine society.
3. Give insights into the stratified society, a master-slave relationship made
by the Spanish colonizers that conveyed by Rizal in El Filibusterismo.
INTRODUCTION
In his next novel, El Filibusterismo, published in 1891, Rizal continued to argue
for reform. Rizal argued that the young are aware of the need to take political
action and pursue social justice. Young people, maintained, create a strong
sense of reform. El Filibusterismo is a book about revolution, positioning it clearly
as an alternative to reform efforts that lead nowhere. He also pointed the dangers
of taking an alternative based on hate and vengeance. In this chapter, learners
are able to engage into the works of Rizal especially his novel El Filibusterismo
which was the sequel of Noli Me Tangere. Learners are also able to comprehend
the real purpose of writing his second novel.
ANALYSIS
Activity 1
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GUIDE QUESTIONS:
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Lesson 1 El Filibusterismo
ABSTRACTION
2. SECULARIZATION CONTROVERSY
There were two kinds of priests in the Philippines serving the Catholic
Church. These were the regulars and the seculars. There were regular
priests belonging to religious orders. Spreading Christianity was their
primary task. Secular priests were of no religious order whatsoever. They
were trained to run the parishes specifically and were under the bishops'
supervision. When the bishops insisted on visiting the parishes that were
run by regular priests, conflict began. It was their duty to check the
administration of these parishes, they argued. But these visits were
refused by the regular priests, saying that they were not under the
jurisdiction of the bishop. If the Bishops continued, they threatened to
leave their parish. Soon, the topic took on a racist slant. Clearly,
the Spaniards preferred their own regular priests over Filipino priests. The
Church’s ecclesiastical governor, Monsignor Pedro Pelaez, sided with
the Filipinos. Sadly, he died in an earthquake which ruined the Cathedral
of Manila in 1863. After his death, other priests took his place in the
struggle for the movement to secularize. Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose
Burgos and Jacinto Zamora were, among others.
3. CAVITE MUTINY
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Gómez—were publicly executed. Subsequently, the three became
martyrs for the cause of the liberation of the Philippines.
Isagani Poet and Basilio's best friend; Isagani is the symbol of the
portrayed as emotional and youth whose love for the
reactive; Paulita Gómez' country is great to the point
boyfriend before being of being branded as
dumped for fellow student idealistic.
Juanito Peláez.
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Makaraig Makaraig shared the same Makaraig represented the
nationalistic ideals with that of well-to- do Filipino youth
Isagani. The both of them led during the Spanish era who
their fellow students in the had good dreams for the
movement for the country. His character also
establishment of the Spanish provided readers a glimpse
academy for Filipinos. The only of how different the rich and
difference between the two is the poor were treated during
their social status. that time in society.
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He is a kind friar who is a He embodies the few
Father Irene friend of the Filipino Spaniards who are
students. He supports the sympathetic to the Filipinos.
students who appeal to the
government for an
academy of Spanish
language.
Rizal also sent free copies to Blumentritt, Ponce, Lopez Jaena, T.H. Pardo de
Tavera, Antonio and Juan Luna, Marcelo H. del Pilar and other friends. The
reformist community in Barcelona praised the novel saying that it is comparable
to the works of Alexander Dumas such as The Count of Monte Cristo from which
the novel received inspiration. The Spanish newspaper El Nuevo Regimen
serialized the novel during October 1891. (de Viana, 2014)
We should note that to reach Manila, Noli was smuggled. The remaining
copies of El Filibusterismo were collected and sent to Manila to be smuggled to
Hong Kong. Almost all the crates were seized by the authorities, relative to the Noli
Me Tangere, and were destroyed. It was much rarer than that of Noli, and there
were a few copies sold for as much as 400 pesetas.
The novel was devoted to the memory of GomBurZa, the three martyred
secular priests. Rizal said in the dedication that the involvement of the priests in
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the Cavite mutiny was in question and hoped that their identities would be
explained sometime by Spain. Rizal perpetrated factual inaccuracies, much as in
Noli Me Tangere. On February 17, 1872, not February 28, the execution of the three
priests took place. And Father Gomez's age was 73 years, not 85; Fr. Burgos was
35, not 30 years old, and Father Zamora was 37, not 35 years old. A foreword and
a warning were absent in the printed novel to save on the printing cost. The
preface spoke of Filibusterism and that it was used by the Spanish government to
intimidate people into silence.
To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years old), Don Jose Burgos (30 years
old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th
of February 1872.
The Church, by refusing to degrade you, has placed in doubt the crime that has been
imputed to you; the Government, by surrounding your trials with mystery and shadows,
causes the belief that there was some error, committed in fatal moments; and all the
Philippines, by worshiping your memory and calling you martyrs, in no sense recognizes
your culpability. In so far, therefore, as your complicity in the Cavite mutiny is not clearly
proved, as you may or may not have been patriots, and as you may or may not have
cherished sentiments for justice and for liberty, I have the right to dedicate my work to you
as victims of the evil which I undertake to combat. And while we wait expectantly upon
Spain someday to restore your good name and cease to be answerable for your death,
let these pages serve as a tardy wreath of dried leaves over your unknown tombs, and let
it be understood that everyone who without clear proofs attacks your memory stains his
hands in your blood!
V. SUMMARY OF EL FILIBUSTERISMO
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The El Filibusterismo tale begins on board a steamer ship sailing from Manila
to Laguna de Bay on the Pasig River. Among the passengers are Simoun; Doña
Victorina, a pro-Spanish native woman who is going to Laguna in search of her
henpecked husband, Tiburcio de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita
Gomez, her beautiful niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist
who writes silly articles about the Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the University
of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the town of Tiani; Don
Custodio, a pro-Spanish Filipino holding a position in the government; Padre Salvi,
thin Franciscan friar and former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who
was a friend of the Filipino students; Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and
patriotic Filipino priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of
Paulita; and Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose medical
education is financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.
Simoun, a man of riches and intrigue, is a very close associate of the Spanish
Governor General and a confidante. He was dubbed the "Brown Cardinal" or the
"Black Eminence" due to his great influence in Malacañang. He encourages
government corruption by using his riches and political power, promotes the
injustice of the masses, and accelerates the spiritual decay of the world so that
the people can become desperate and fight. With the aid of a rich Chinese
merchant, Quiroga, who aspires to be the Chinese Consul of Manila, he smuggles
weapons into the country. His first effort to launch the armed revolution did not
materialize because he heard the tragic news at the last hour that Maria Clara
died in the nunnery. He did not send the signal for an eruption of hostilities in his
agonizing moment of bereavement.
Simoun is perfecting his plot to topple the government after a long period
of sickness brought on by the bitter loss of Maria Clara. He gave them a lovely
lamp on the day of the wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez. Just he
and his confidential allies, Basilio (the son of Sisa who supported his revolutionary
cause), realize that when the wick of his lamp burns down the nitroglycerine
concealed in his underground compartment, it will explode, burning the house
where the wedding feast is going to take place, killing all the visitors, including the
governor general, the friars, and the officials of the administration. Around the
same time, all the government buildings in Manila are going to be blown up by
Simoun's supporters.
The poet Isagani, who was rejected by Paulita because of his liberal ideas,
is standing outside the house as the wedding feast begins, sorrowfully watching
the merriment inside. He is warned by Basilio, his friend, to go away because the
lightened lamp will soon explode.
Isagani realizes, upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, that his
beloved Paulita is in grave danger. He rushes into the house to save her life, seizes
the lightened lamp, and hurls it into the river, where it explodes. It is thus
discovered the revolutionary plot. The soldiers cornered Simoun, but he escapes.
Mortally injured, holding his treasure chest, he finds shelter by the sea in Padre
Florentino's house. However, the Spanish authorities have been informed of his
involvement in the house of Padre Florentino. By letter, Lieutenant Perez of the
Guardia Civil told the priest that he would come to arrest Simoun at eight o'clock
that night.
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Simoun, by taking poison, eludes capture. He confesses to Padre Florentino
as he is dying, exposing his real identity, his grim intention to use his fortune to
avenge himself, and his sinister goal of killing his friends and rivals.
Padre Florentino sinks to his knees and prays for the dead jeweler, watching
Simoun die happily with a clean conscience and at peace with God. Then the
priest takes the chest of treasures and drops it into the water.
Like Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo is a fictional work. Like the Noli, she
had references to real life characters. The main character of Simoun was Rizal.
The friars who were criminals in his novels were Dominicans this time around. These
were exemplified by Father Sibyla, who was Vice-Rector of the University of Santo
Tomas. In real life, Father Sibyla alludes to Father Bernardino Nozaleda, who was
the Vice-Rector of the University when he was a student there. Later he would
become archbishop of Manila and ask for his arrest in 1896. The oppressive
professor of physics was not only a friar, but a layman named Jose Franco, who
tried to fail Rizal's entire class when he was a student. The real professor of physics
at Rizal was Father Jenaro Buitrago de la Rosa. He did not attempt to fail the entire
class or sexually harass students like he did in the book. (de Viana, 2014)
Father Fernandez was Father Evaristo Fernandez Arias, the only friar in the
less unfavourable light that Rizal painted. In the book, he had a moderating effect
on Filipino students and was viewed as fatherly and kind. The real Father
Fernandez was a professor at the University of Santo Tomas and was known to
most alumni during Rizal's time. During the Philippine Revolution he wrote a letter
to General Emilio Aguinaldo on July 7, 1898 urging him "to abandon the violence
of war. He said that rebellion against legitimate authority was illicit." He said that
Spanish rule was "not tyrannical but constructive and benevolent." He reminded
Aguinaldo that he was affiliated to secret societies condemned by the Church
under the penalty of excommunication and that the Church condemns those
that lay violent hands on the ministers of God. He said that the revolutionists were
depriving the priests of their freedom because they were his prisoners.
The other friars were Fr. Camorra and Fr. Irene, who seemed to be shrewd,
strong, and unethical frailocracy figures. It was understandable for Rizal to have
cast the Dominicans as part of the villains because his family had been removed
from their lands in the Dominican estate of Calamba when he wrote the book.
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Rizal's commentary on how it was being operated at the time was the state
of the colonial government. Because of the assistance of patrons, the governor
general was incompetent and secured his roles. Appointments to high offices can
be obtained by a bribe network. As in the case of Graciano Lopez Jaena and
Marcelo H, the friars were so powerful that they should have imprisoned a man.
Del Pilar, who were told to be imprisoned because of their writing after they
angered the friars.
Fr. Florentino symbolized the secular priests of the Filipinos. Rizal offered him
a solution in his book, but only in a distant region facing the Pacific Ocean. A
cross-section of colonial society at the time was reflected by students at the
University of Santo Tomas. They were influenced by the young women of Malolos,
who defied the local curate there when they advocated for a Spanish language
academy in the book. They embodied a cross-section of colonial society at the
period, belonging to diverse backgrounds. The characters of Rizal were also
portrayed by them. Isagani, the student who cast himself as a poet, represents
Rizal's idealistic personality; Pecson exposes Rizal's playful and cynical side of Rizal,
while his serious side is Placido Penitente.
The Cabesang Tales family symbolized the poor peasant farmers and the
Calamba estate tenants. Both the law and the lawless became prisoners of them.
Estate managers come to collect ever-increasing rentals while bandits enter to
extort currency. The presence of bandits showed that during that time there was
lawlessness, and Laong, who terrorized the Filipino and Chinese shop owners'
farms in the province of Manila, was the most infamous of them. Later, Laong
fought in 1896 with the Katipunan. Laong was depicted in the role of Matang
Lawin.
The killing of Tandang Selo by a group of civil guards, including Tano, was
evidently inspired by a story in the Marianas in the 1870s in which a group of
escaping prisoners were pursued by civil guards. He was shot as he waved a
spear. The soldier who shot him was Carolino, who was Tano, the grandson of
Tandang Selo. He must have been given his current name when he was assigned
to the Carolina Islands in the Pacific.
In his book, Rizal borrowed ideas from history as well. The blow-up of the
house of Juanito Pelaez was influenced in the 17th century by the Guy Fawkes
Gunpowder Plot in England. Fawkes wanted Catholic rule in England to be
reinstated. By mining it with gunpowder, he attempted to blow up Westminster
Palace in 1605. He was deceived by hanging and sentenced to death. Before his
executioners could hang him, he killed himself by falling off the execution table.
Likewise, Simoun drank poison before the authorities could apprehend him.
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Some incidents in Rizal's student life at the University of Santo Tomas were
expressed in El Filibusterismo. It was stated in the novel that there was a fund-
raising effort for Fr. Baltasar to erect a statue. Archbishop Miguel de Benavides,
the founder of the university, was Fr. Baltasar in real life. In the fund-raising effort,
Rizal should have donated some cash. However, the monument was not erected
while Rizal was a university student. After collecting just P4,000 of the P-30,000
needed, the fund- raising campaign was called off. The monument was erected
in Paris and erected in 1891 on the campus of Intramuros. Before being moved to
its present location on the Sampaloc campus, the monument endured the
Philippine Revolution, the transfer of the Islands to American rule and the Second
World War.
The Fr. Baltasar in the novel is also not entirely fictional. It was derived from
Fr. Baltasar Fort, the executor of the last will of Archbishop Benavides' led to the
founding of the University on April 28, 1611.
As a novelist, Rizal demonstrated not just the Philippines, but other countries'
knowledge and depth of culture. In his fictional work, his historical experience
added an aspect of both fact and colour and showed his comprehension of
cultural and historical changes. (de Viana, 2014).
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APPLICATION
Activity 2
2. What would be the reaons why Jose Rizal wote El Filibustrismi? Briefly
explain.
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