Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Rizal Life
Rizal Life
Rizal Life
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VII. A GOOD AND MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY.
a. The Rizal family belonged to the principalia, a town aristocracy in
Spanish Philippines.
b. From the farms, which were rented from the Dominicans, they
harvested rice, corn, and sugarcane. They raised pigs, chickens, and
turkeys in their backyard.
c. In addition to farming and stockraising, they managed a general good
store and operated a small flour-mill and a home-made ham press.
VIII. HOME LIFE OF THE RIZALS
a. Whenever the children, including Jose, got into mischief, they were
given a sound spanking.
b. They believed in the maxim: “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”
c. Every day, the Rizals heard Mass. They pray the Angelus, Rosary
before sleeping.
d. After the family prayers, all children kissed the hands of their parent.
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c. Did not sleep the whole night: awed by the Pasig River and the silence
of the night. Experienced his first sunrise
d. Went to Manila afterwards to visit: Saturnina, eldest sister. Jose’ first
glimpse of Manila.
VI. THE STORY OF THE MOTH: fable of the young moth and the old one
a. Story told by her Mother: Made the profoundest impression on him
b. She was teaching Jose to read in Spanish: El Amigo de los Ninos (The
Children’s Friend) when everyone was asleep.
c. She was her ultimate critique in his poetical compositions.
d. Jose marveled how her mother sounded good in reading her Spanish
phrases.
e. Jose watched a cheerful flame and moths encircling it when he paid
little attention to reading.
f. Mother told Jose a story when she noticed that he was not interested
anymore in reading.
g. The word ‘story’ promised something new and wonderful on Jose. Jose
was full of curiosity and wonder.
h. Warning of the old moth. Jose did not notice how her mother’s story
ended he was fixated on how the moth died because of its attraction to
the flame. For Jose, it died a martyr to its illusions.
i. Mother’s advice: don’t behave like the young moth. Don’t be
disobedient, or you may get burnt as it did.
j. For Jose: Moths know how to warn younger moths. They advised like
her mother. The light for Rizal seemed to be more beautiful.
k. Noble death: sacrificing one’s life for the light. It is something
worthwhile.
VII. ARTISTIC TALENTS
a. 5 y.o. : sketches with his pencil/ molding of clay and wax objects that
attracted his fancy
b. Painted in oil colors a new banner for the town fiesta: better than the
original
c. Spending so much time making images in clay and wax rather than
participating in games: “laugh at me now, someday when I die, people
will make monuments and images of me.”
VIII. FIRST POEM: “to my fellow children”
a. Gift for literature
b. Poem is about loving the mother tongue : age of Jose was 8
c. Earliest nationalist sentiment
d. People who truly love their native language will surely strive for liberty
like the bird which soars to freer space above.
e. Tagalog is equal to Latin, English, Spanish, and any other Language.
IX. FIRST DRAMA
a. A Tagalog Comedy, written after his first poem was done: bought by a
gobernadorcillo from Paete and staged it in his town fiesta.
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b. Guardia Civil: everyday in his town, unarmed villagers are always
injured. Villager’s only fault: not taking his hat off and not bowing.
c. There was no restraint put upon brutality
d. He always asks himself: if people live the same way across the lake
e. Jose grieved deeply over the unhappy situation of his beloved
fatherland.
XII. INFLUENCES ON THE HERO’S BOYHOOD
a. HEREDITARY
i. Malayan Ancestors: love for freedom, desire to travel, and
courage.
ii. Chinese Ancestors: serious nature, frugality, patience, and love
for children.
iii. Spanish Ancestors: elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult, and
gallantry to ladies.
iv. Father: profound sense of self-respect, love for work, habit of
independent thinking.
v. Mother: religious nature, spirit of self-sacrifice, and passion for
arts and literature.
b. ENVIRONMENTAL
i. Scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal
family stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose.
ii. The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious
nature.
iii. Paciano: love for freedom and justice
iv. Sisters: courteous and kind to women
v. Fairy tales told by his aya: awakened his interest in folklore and
legends.
vi. Tio Jose Alberto: who had studied for 11 years in a British School
in Calcutta, India, and had travelled in Europe inspired him to
develop his artistic ability.
vii. Tio Manuel: a husky and atheletic man, encouraged him to
develop his frail body by means of physical exercises, including
horse riding, walking, and wrestling.
viii. Tio Gregorio: a book lover, intensified his voracious reading of
good books.
ix. Fr. Leoncio Lopez, fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and
intellectual honesty.
x. Sorrows:
1. Death of Concha and the imprisonment of his mother,
contributed to strengthen his character, enabling him to
resist blows of adversity in later years.
2. Spanish abuses and cruelties, the brutal acts of the
Guardia Civil and the alcalde, the unjust tortures inflicted
on innocent Filipinos, and the Execution of the Gom-Bur-
Za, awakened his spirit of patriotism and inspired him to
consecrate his life and talents to redeem his oppressed
people.
c. DIVINE PROVIDENCE
i. A person may have everything in life – brains, wealth, and power
– but, without the aid of Divine Providence, he cannot attain
greatness in the annals of the nation.
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a. Typical schooling of an ilustrado son: 4Rs --- Reading, wRiting,
aRithmetic, Religion
b. Knowledge was forced into the minds of students by means of memory
method aided by the teacher’s whip.
c. First teacher: Jose’s Mother
i. At the age of 3: Jose learned the alphabet and prayers
ii. Discovered that her son had a talent for poetry
iii. She encouraged him to write poems and told him stories: to
lighten the monotony of memorizing the ABCs and to stimulate
her son’s imagination
d. Private tutors were employed: Spanish and Latin
II. JOSE GOES TO BINAN --- Jose experienced his first homesickness
III. FIRST DAY IN BINAN SCHOOL
a. School of Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz
b. Students laughing at Jose’s answers
IV. FIRST SCHOOL BRAWL
a. Jose met the bully, Pedro (Maestro Justiniano’s son)
i. Jose was angry at this bully for making fun of him during his
conversation with the teacher
ii. Jose challenged Pedro to a fight
iii. Jose having learned the art of wrestling from his athletic Tio
Manuel, defeated the bigger boy.
iv. For this feat, Jose became popular among his classmates.
v. After the class: a classmate named Andres Salandanan
challenged Jose to an arm-wrestling match.
1. They went to a sidewalk of a house and wrestled with
their arms.
2. Jose, having the weaker arm, lost and nearly cracked his
head on the sidewalk.
vi. Jose was not quarrelsome by nature, but he never ran away from
a fight.
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VIII. END OF BINAN SCHOOLING
a. Letter from sister, Saturnina: arrival of the steamer Talim which would
take him from Binan to Calamba. This was Jose’s first time to ride in a
steamer.
b. Rizal’s premonition: not returning to Binan
IX. MARTYRDOM OF GOM-BUR-ZA (1872)
a. About 200 Filipino Soldiers and workmen of the Cavite arsenal under
the leadership of Lamadrid, Filipino Sergeant, rose in violent mutiny
because their usual privileges were abolished, including exemption
from tribute and polo (forced labor) by: Gov. Rafael de Izquierdo.
b. The mutiny was suppressed.
c. The Spanish authorities, in order to liquidate Fathers Mariano Gomez,
Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, leaders of the secular movement to
Filipinize the Philippine Parishes, magnified the failed mutiny into a
“revolt” for Philippine Independence.
d. Despite the archbishop’s plea for clemency because of their innocence,
they were still executed.
e. Paciano, enraged by the execution of Burgos, his beloved friend and
teacher, quit his studies and returned to Calamba, where he told the
heroic story of Burgos to Jose, who was 11 years old.
f. The martyrdom of Gom-Bur-Za inspired Rizal to fight the evils of
Spanish tyranny and redeem his oppressed people. This motivated
him to develop his studies.
g. He dedicated his 2nd novel, El Filibusterismo, to Gom-Bur-Za.
X. INJUSTICE TO HERO’S MOTHER
a. Dona Teodora was arrested on a malicious charge that she and her
brother, Jose Alberto, tried to poision the latter’s perfidious wife.
b. Jose Alberto, a rich Binan ilustrado, had just returned from a business
trip in Europe.
i. During his absence his wife abandoned their home and children.
ii. When he arrived in Binan, he found her living with another man.
iii. Infuriated by her infidelity, he planned to divorce her.
iv. Dona Teodora, to avert family scandal, persuaded him to forgive
his wife.
v. The family trouble was amicably settled, and Jose Alberto lived
again with his wife.
c. However, the wife of Jose Alberto, with the connivance of the Spanish
lieutenant (had been friends of the Rizals and was treated as their
honored guest in their home) of the Guardia Civil, filed a case in court
accusing her husband and Dona Teodora of attempting to poison her.
d. This lieutenant happened to have an ax to grind against the Rizal
family, because at one time Don Francisco (Rizal’s father) refused to
give him fodder for his horse. Taking the opportunity to avenge
himself, he arrested Dona Teodora.
e. After arresting Dona Teodora, the Spanish Lieutenant forced her to
walk from Calamba to Santa Cruz, a distance of 50 kilometers.
f. After arrival to Santa Cruz, Dona Teodora was incarcerated at the
provincial prison, where she languished for 2 and ½ years and was
later on acquitted.
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b. His father, who first wished him to study at Letran, changed his mind
and decided to send him to Ateneo instead.
c. Fr. Magin Ferrando, who was the College Registrar, refused to admit
Jose for 2 reasons:
i. He was late for registration
ii. He was sickly and undersized for his age, Rizal was then 11
years old.
d. However: through the intercession of Manuel Xerez Burgos, nephew of
Fr. Burgos, he was admitted.
e. Jose was the first of his family to adopt the surname “Rizal.”
i. He registered under this name at the Ateneo because their
family name “Mercado” had come under the suspicion of the
Spanish authorities.
ii. Paciano used “Mercado” as his surname at the College of San
Jose and he was known to the authorities as Fr. Burgos’ favorite
student and confidant.
II. JESUIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
a. Students are divided into 2 groups:
i. Roman Empire (internos: boarders)
ii. Carthaginian Empire (externos: non-boarders)
b. each of these empires had its ranks
i. emperor: best student
ii. tribune: second best
iii. Decurion: third best
iv. Centurion: fourth best
v. Standard bearer: fifth best
c. The students fought for positions:
i. Any student could challenge any officer in his “empire” to
answer questions on the day’s lesson.
ii. His opponent could lose his position if he committed 3 mistakes.
iii. Any student might be at the end of the line, but if he studied
hard and was brilliant, he could depose the officers one after
another and become an emperor.
III. RIZAL’S FIRST YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Being a new comer and knowing little Spanish, Rizal was placed at the
bottom of the class. He was an externo, hence he was assigned to the
Carthaginians, occupying the end of the line.
b. After the first week, the frail Calamba boy progressed rapidly.
c. At the end of the month, he became emperor.
d. He was the brightest pupil in the whole class, and he was awarded a
prize.
e. To improve his Spanish, Rizal took private lessons in Santa Isabel
College during the noon recesses, when other Ateneo students were
playing or gossiping.
i. He paid 3 pesos for those extra Spanish lessons, but it was
money well spent.
IV. SUMMER VACATION
a. He did not enjoy his vacation because his mother was in prison.
b. He visited his mother and told her his grades.
V. SECOND YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Neglected his studies the previous year because he was offended by
the teacher’s remarks.
b. To regain his lost class leadership, he studied harder and eventually
became an emperor again.
VI. PROPHECY OF MOTHER’S RELEASE
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a. Rizal, interpreting the dream of her mother, told her that she would be
released from prison in three month’s time.
b. Dona Teodora smiled, thinking that her son’s prophecy was a mere
boyish attempt to console her.
c. Teodora was released after 3 months. She was proud of her son whom
she likened to Joseph the Dreamer (interpreter of dreams)
VII. TEENAGE INTEREST IN READING
a. Summer after his 2nd year: interest in reading romantic novels
b. First favorite novel: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
i. His boyish imagination was stirred by the sufferings of Edmond
Dantes (the hero) in prison, his spectacular escape from the
dungeon, his finding a buried treasure on the rocky island of
Monte Cristo.
ii. His dramatic revenge on his enemies who had wronged him.
c. Later Rizal read ‘Travels in the Philippines’ by Dr. Feodor Jagor, a
german scientist-traveler who visited the Philippines. Rizal was
impressed on this book because of:
i. Jagor’s keen observations of the defects of Spanish colonization
ii. His prophecy that someday Spain would lose the Philippines
iii. America would come to succeed her as colonizer.
VIII. THIRD YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Won only one medal --- in Latin.
b. He failed to win the medal in Spanish because his spoken Spanish was
not fluently sonorous.
IX. FOURTH YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Became an interno
b. Rizal had the highest affection and respect for Father Sanchez, whom
he considered his best professor
c. He topped all his classmates in all subjects and won 5 medals at the
end of the school term
d. He was able to repay his father for his sacrifices
X. LAST YEAR IN ATENEO
a. Most brilliant Atenean of his time, he was truly “the pride of the
Jesuits.”
XI. GRADUATION IN HIGHEST HONORS
a. At 16: received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, with highest honors.
b. Commencement Day was a time of bitter sweetness.
c. Prayed to the Virgin: “when I should step into that world, which
inspired me with so much terror, she would protect me.”
XII. EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN ATENEO
a. Was a campus leader outside the classroom
b. Became a secretary of a Marian Congregation because of his devotion
to Our Lady Immaculate Conception --- College Patroness.
c. Member of the Academy of Spanish Literature and the Academy of
Natural Sciences.
d. Aside from writing poetry, he devoted his spare time to fine arts. He
studied painting and sculpture.
e. To develop his weak body, he engaged in gymnastics and fencing.
XIII. SCULPTURAL WORKS IN ATENEO
a. Carved the image of the Virgin Mary on a piece of Batikuling (Philippine
Hardwood) with his pocket knife.
b. Fr. Lleonart, impressed by Rizal’s sculptural talent, requested him to
carve for him an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
XIV. ANECDOTES ON RIZAL, THE ATENEAN
a. Felix Roxas (contemporary of Rizal)
i. Related Jose’s resignation to pain and forgiveness
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ii. Jose was hit in the face by one of the thrown books from two
quarreling students.
iii. He did not raise a cry of protest, although his wounded face was
bleeding.
b. Manuel Xeres Burgos:
i. Rizal’s predilection to help the helpless at the risk of his own life.
ii. Jose courageously climbed the high cathedral tower and
retrieved the kite of his board mate.
XV. POEMS WRITTEN IN ATENEO
a. 1st poem written by Rizal: “My first Inspiration”
i. Dedicated to her mother on her birthday
ii. Jose was 14
XVI. RIZAL’S POEMS ON EDUCATION
a. Believed in the significant role which education plays in the progress
and welfare of a nation: “Through Education, Our Motherland receives
Light”
i. Education instills power
ii. Education may lift the country to its highest station
iii. It gives security and peace to lands
iv. Education breaks the neck of vice and its deceit
v. Education knows how to tame barbarous nations --- from
savages create heroic fame
XVII. RIZAL’S RELIGIOUS POEMS
a. “To the Child Jesus” --- Jose was 14
i. A Celestial King would rather choose to be a shepherd for his
sheep than to be sovereign
b. “To the Virgin Mary”
i. Jose was close to her mother
ii. Mary was her spiritual fortitude/ sustenance
iii. His anguish from death is set free because of his faith with her
XVIII. DRAMATIC WORK IN ATENEO
a. His favorite teacher, Fr. Sanchez, requested him to write a drama
based on the prose story of St. Eustace the Martyr.
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vi. He stopped short of proposing marriage to Orang because of
Segunda.
d. Leonor Rivera
i. His cousin from Tarlac. Their romance begins at the start of his
junior year.
ii. Lived in his landlord uncle where he saw Leonor, a student at La
Concordia College (where Soledad, Jose’s younger sister, was
studying)
iii. They became engaged.
iv. In order to camouflage their intimate relationship from their
parents and friends, Jose knew Leonor under the name of
“Taimis”
V. VICTIM OF SPANISH OFFICER’S BRUTALITY
a. Happened when Jose was a freshman medical student
b. One dark night in Calamba, during the summer vacation in 1878, he
was walking in the street.
i. He dimly perceived the figure of a man while passing him.
ii. The vague figure turned out to be a lieutenant of the Guardia
Civil.
iii. With a snarl, he turned upon Rizal, whipped out his sword and
brutally slashed the latter on the back.
c. Rizal reported the incident to General Primo de Rivera, the Spanish
Governor General of the Philippines
i. But nothing came out of his complaint, because he was an Indio
ii. And the abusive lieutenant was a Spaniard.
VI. TO THE FILIPINO YOUTH
a. 1879: the Artistic-Literary Lyceum of Manila, a society of literary men
and artists, held a literary contest.
i. It offered a prize for the best poem by a native or a mestizo
ii. Rizal submitted his poem: “To the Filipino Youth”
b. Stanza 1: youth as the fair hope of our country
c. This is a classic Philippine Literature for two reasons:
i. Great poem in Spanish written by a Filipino, whose merit was
recognized by Spanish authorities
ii. It expressed for the first time the nationalistic concept that the
Filipinos, and not the foreigners, were the fair hope of the
fatherland.
VII. THE COUNCIL OF THE GODS
a. The following year, the Artistic-Literary Lyceum opened another literary
contest to commemorate the 4th centennial death of Cervantes, Spain’s
glorified man-of-letters and famous author of Don Quixote.
i. The contest was opened to both Filipinos and Spaniards.
ii. Rizal, inspired by his poetical triumph the previous year,
submitted an allegorical drama entitled “The Council of the
Gods”
iii. Many professional writers and scholars joined the contest.
b. The Spanish community in Manila, spear-headed by the Spanish press,
howled in great indignation against the decision because the winning
author was an Indio.
i. For the first time in history, an Indio --- a 19 y.o. Filipino medical
student at that --- excelled in a national literary contest
defeating several Spanish writers.
ii. Rizal was particularly happy, for he proved the fallacy of the
alleged Spanish superiority over the Filipinos and revealed that
the Filipino could hold his own in fair competition against all
races.
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c. The allegory established a parallel among Homer, Virgil, and Cervantes.
i. The gods discuss the comparative merits of these great writers
ii. They decide to give the trumpet to Homer, lyre to Virgil, and the
laurel to Cervantes.
iii. The allegory gloriously closes with the naiads, nymphs, satyrs,
and other mythological characters dancing and gathering laurels
for Cervantes.
VIII. RIZAL’S VISIT TO PAKIL AND PAGSANJAN
a. Rizal went on a pilgrimage to the town of Pakil, famous shrine of the
Birhen Maria de los Dolores.
b. From Pakil, Rizal and his party made a side trip to the neighboring town
of Pagsanjan for 2 reasons:
i. It was the native town of Leonor Valenzuela
ii. To see the Pagsanjan Falls
IX. CHAMPION OF FILIPINO STUDENTS
a. In their frequent fights against the arrogant Spanish students, who were
often surpassed by the Filipinos in class work and who insultingly called
their brown classmates: “Indio, chongo!”
b. Filipino students called them “Kastila, bangus!”
c. Hostility between these 2 groups of students often exploded in angry
street rumbles.
i. Rizal participated in these brawls
ii. Owing to his skills in fencing, his prowess in wrestling, and his
indomitable courage
d. Jose founded a secret society of Filipino Students: Companerismo
(Comradeship)
i. Members were called “Companions of Jehu” --- after the valiant
Hebrew general who fought the Armaeans and ruled the
Kingdom of Israel for 28 years.
ii. Led the members in street fights.
X. UNHAPPY DAYS AT THE UST
a. Jose was unhappy at this Dominican institution because:
i. The Dominican professors were hostile to him
ii. The Filipino students were racially discriminated against by the
Spaniards
iii. Method of instruction was obsolete and repressive
b. The class in Physics was taught without laboratory experiments.
i. Laboratory apparatuses were kept inside the showcases to be
seen by visitors and the students could not touch them.
XI. DECISION TO STUDY ABROAD
a. After finishing the 4th year of his medical course, Rizal decided to study
in Spain:
i. He could no longer endure the rampant bigotry, discrimination,
and hostility in UST.
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i. All being fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of
creation
ii. Jose cannot exempt himself from his duty to his country
II. SECRET DEPARTURE FOR SPAIN
a. To avoid detection by the Spanish authorities and the friars.
b. The kind Jesuit Priests gave him letters of recommendation to the
members of their Society in Barcelona
c. Rizal departed on Board the Spanish steamer Salvadora bound for
Singapore
III. FROM SINGAPORE TO COLOMBO
a. In Singapore (colony of England), Rizal transferred to another ship
Djemnah, a Frensh steamer, which left for Singapore for Europe.
b. Rizal attempted to converse with his fellow passengers in French, but
to his surprise, he found out that his book French which he learned at
the Ateneo could not be understood.
c. Rizal was enamoured by Colombo, the Capital of Ceylon, because of its
scenic beauty and elegant buildings. It is more beautiful, smart and
elegant than Singapore and Manila.
IV. FIRST TRIP TO SUEZ CANAL
a. It took the Djemnah five days to traverse the Suez Canal
b. Rizal was thrilled because it was his first trip through this canal
V. NAPLES AND MARSEILLES
a. Naples: (Italy)
i. This Italian city pleased him because of its business activity, its
lively people, and its panoramic beauty.
b. First impression on Barcelona, Spain’s 2nd largest city:
i. Was unfavorable
ii. Jose thought it was ugly, with dirty little inns and inhospitable
residents
iii. Because he happened to stay upon his arrival at a dingy inn
situated on an unimpressive narrow street in the town’s most
ugly side.
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d. He lived frugally. His only extravagance was investing on a lottery
ticket
IX. ROMANCE WITH CONSUELO ORTIGA Y PEREZ
a. Rizal was not a handsome man. He’s only 5’3”
i. But he possessed an aura of charisma due to his many talents
and noble character which made him more attractive to
romantic women.
ii. Consuelo fell in love with him
b. But he backed out for two reasons:
i. He was engaged to Leonor Rivera
ii. His friend and co-worker in the Propaganda movement, Eduardo
de Lete, was madly in love with Consuelo and he had no wish to
break their friendship because of a pretty girl.
X. THEY ASK ME FOR VERSES
a. Rizal joined the Hispano-Philippine Circle, a society of Spaniards and
Filipinos
b. He wrote a poem entitled “They ask me for Verses”
c. He poured out the cry of his agonizing heart
d. Sad isolation: memories of happy friendship
XI. RIZAL AS LOVER OF BOOKS
a. He stayed at home and read voraciously until midnight
b. He purchased books from a second-hand book store and was able to
build a fair-sized private library.
c. Rizal was deeply affected by Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and
Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew.
i. These 2 books aroused his sympathy for the oppressed and
unfortunate people.
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