Rizal’s Novels as Social Portraiture

Rizal’s Novels as Social Portraiture

In the novels that Rizal had created, there are many thoughts that are opened to us of what had happened during the time when the Spaniards capture Philippines. His novels symbolize something that can tell us what are the problems during those times until now in the present. His novels also tell the sickness of the Filipinos that affects our daily living until now. In his two novels namely Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, he uses some symbolisms and some characters that will describe about the sickness and the problems of the people during those times when the Spaniards took over the Philippines. Another thing in the two novels are about the three major issues that really affect our every day living until now. These are about the Political issues, the Social issues and the Educational issues. First is the Political issue. During the time of Rizal, the only powerful in a certain area are only the friars or the guardia civils. Even that the friars or the guardia civils are wrong, the judge always make them win in courts because they are scared of what will happen to them if they make the friars or guardia civils lose. In that case, the friars and the guardia civils abused their power in doing what they want instead of using their power to improve the vicinity that they are assigned into. Another thing is the assigning of the leader in a certain area. In assigning officers and leaders in an area, the leader and officer assigned is always in Spanish blood which is very annoying because the assigned leader or officer is very not capable of leading the area instead, he is very capable of leading the area or vicinity into the doom. In the first chapter of Noli Me Tangere, the house of Kapitan Tiago symbolizes the Philippines. Also the lines there are not straight meaning of the poor eyesight of the government of what is happening to the country. In having that kind of line, even if it is just a small curve it will really destroy the living of the country. It is because in leading a country, the leader must be straight in his decisions and also he mustn’t fail even once because it will make the people lose their trust in the leader of the country. In the first chapter of the El Filibusterismo, the Bapor Tabo symbolizes again the Philippines. The Bapor Tabo is in a very slow motion that means the government in the country is very slow that the country is not improving anymore instead the country is now in the last of each country. The circular shape of the Bapor Tabo also symbolizes the circular motion of the government meaning the government’s leading capacity is just in a form of a cycle. The type of leading the country is only one that is very bad because if one country really wants to improve the living of its area, they should improve their type of leading or they should change the type of leading so that the country will improve in some aspects. In the fourth chapter of Noli Me Tangere, it is when Crisostomo Ibarra went to Binondo. In visiting the area, he notices that the houses and roads aren’t changed meaning there is no improvement in the area. Like in the time when the Spaniards took over the Philippines, in three hundred years of them in this country there are no improvements that really help the country. The three hundred years of them here is very nonsense. I think if the Spanish colonialism didn’t happen I think that our country now is in lead because before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, we have a nice type of governing. We have a type of trading which helps in making our country improve. In the ninth chapter of Noli Me Tangere, it is when Padre Damaso went to Kapitan Tiago. When he knows that Maria Clara together with her Tiya Isabel is going to the convent to gather their things, he tells to himself something about of who will be really followed. In that saying we all know that Padre Damaso is a friar and in Rizal’s time, friars are very powerful. So it tells us that during the time of Rizal, the friars really abuse their power so badly that even in a blink of an eye, they want something just to amuse themselves. In the twenty-sixth chaper of Noli Me Tangere, it is when Crisotomo Ibarra went to Pilisopo Tasio to gain some advice. Pilisopo Tasio symbolizes a person who is with formal eduacation, a philisophe. He also told Ibarra about the Religious thoughts of Rizal through the Doctrine of Purgatory. He told Ibarra a very good advice. So for me, Pilisopo Tasio symbolizes a good leader because in having that kind of characterteristics and with that kind of being intellectual, he can make the country improve and he can lead the country into a bright future. In the fiftieth chapter of Noli Me Tangere, it is when Elias talks to Ibarra about the reforms. Also it is when Elias had a conflict with Ibarra due to the bowing down to the Spaniards first. Elias said that even the Spaniards aren’t here; there are also crimes, robberies and even murders. It is because of poverty. It is because of the Filipinos having no food to eat each day. It is because of the bad treatment of the Spaniards to the country that Elias had said those words, which is true because the Spaniards only lead this country into doom that makes us suffer a lot. In the fourth chapter of El Filibusterismo, it is when the Spaniards took Kabesang Tales’ lot. In doing that thing, it is a form of abusing the power of the one in lead. During the time of Rizal, the Spaniards also do that kind of thing. In some cases, the friars took not only the land but also the daughters of the one who owns the land. In having this kind of abuse in our country, it will lead us into sufferings. So now therefore, we must choose very wisely our leaders. Second is the Social issue. During the time of Rizal, the Spaniards discriminated the Filipinos. They considered the Filipinos as low class creatures. So the Filipinos themselves to be not discriminated, they study Spanish language and then they consider themselves as Spaniards. They act like Spaniards and it is bad for me because if you are really a Filipino, you should be proud of it. In the first chapter of Noli Me Tangere, the visitors in the house of Kapitan Tiago treat themselves very special. In the setting of the story, there are also followers(Filipinos) and the onces to be followed(Spaniards/Friars). It symbolizes the treatment of the Spaniards to us Filipinos that we are in the lower side of them. For me this is a very crucial problem because in the eyes of the Lord we are equal so we must not discriminate other people. In the first chapter of El Filibusterismo, the Bapor Tabo is divided into two parts. The upper part and the lower part. In the upper part, the people who are in there are those who are in the upper class usually the friars and the guardia civils. In the lower side, the people there are the Filipinos, Chinese and slaves. Again like in the first chapter of Noli Me Tangere, this represents the discrimination of the Spaniards to the Filipinos and also to the Chinese. Kapitan Tiago, a character in the novel of Jose Rizal symbolizes the sickness of the Filipinos to treat themselves as Spaniards during the time of Rizal. He is also like the dog of the friars. It is because all the things that the friars order him, he always acomplish it whether it is good or bad. If it is from the friars, he accepts it with open arms. Maria Clara, a character in the novel of Jose Rizal symbolizes the sickness of the Filipinos to make themselves as beautiful as Maria Clara. Others, they go to the convent to become a nun. Another thing is through Maria Clara, the wrong idea of a friar-dominated culture was born which is a big tragedy in the Philippines. Sisa, a character in the novel of Jose Rizal symbolizes poverty. It is because of the type of their daily living. She sew clothes to buy food for her family. She is a good example of a caring mother, husband and friend but due to the guardia civils, it changes her life into a miserable one. It is because of poverty that her life changed. Doña Victorina, a character in the novel of Jose Rizal symbolizes Colonial Mentality. In the story, she is like the women form of Kapitan Tiago. She was in the Spain for just a short period of time, she considered herself immediately a Spaniard. It is very discusting because you cannot know yourself if you did'nt accept who you are or what you are. Doña Consolacion, a character in the novel of Jose Rizal symbolizes Prostitution. It is because she sells herself to the Spaniards just to gain equality. It is because in the act, they are equal. For me, this is really bad because in order to gain equally, one must fight. We must fight for our equality not doing such malicious things that will destroy our dignity and pride as Filipinos. Third is about the Educational issue. During the time of Jose Rizal, education is not that improved. The education also during those time is only for the rich and only for the Spaniards. The Spaniards restricted the education to the Filipinos because they consider the Filipinos poor in knowledge. In the 19th chapter of Noli Me Tangere, it is when they plan to build a school. The aspects of having a school should have prestige, reputation, moral strength and freedom. In prestige, the teacher and the principal who will be leading the school should be achievers. Being an achiever, it will result to reputation which will be the cause of the school in becoming popular. Also to improve the school, it should be free in comments and through that, it will gain moral strength that will make the school a world class one. In the 13th chapter of El Filibusterismo, it is the Physics time. It is when Placido reacted on the treatment of their teacher. Also Placido commented on the type of teaching that the teacher had done to them. Checking of attendance and then the mirror and then dismissal and then attendance and over and over again. For me as a student, this type of teaching is absolutely not very effective. During the time of Rizal, definitely this is the type of teaching. With this type of teaching, the country will not improve. So therefore to make the country at a high state, they should improve the type of education.