Sañosa, Carl Angelo C.

RZL110- A6
CE-1 11/14/19

“THE STORY OF THE MOTH: JOSE RIZAL’S CHARACTER”

1. Research on how the story of the moth and the flame shaped Rizal’s social and political
ideas?

- The story that Teodora Alonzo, Jose Rizal’s mother, told him that is about the moth
and the flame affected Rizal’s perspective towards the social and the political society.
That also made his ideas opposing towards it. The story was about the old moth that
warned the young moth not to get close to the lamp for it can burn him. But the
instance is that the young moth got too attracted to the burning light of the lamp that
he came too close the lamp. It burned his wings and eventually died. At that moment
also, Rizal was looking at the moths around the lamp. The same fate happened to the
moth that went too close the lamp. It burned its wings but did not die because of the
flame. But instead fell to the coconut oil, drowned and died. This story made Rizal
mostly of his personality that lead to his actions towards the Spaniards. He opposed
the Spanish government that lead him the same fate as the young moth that did not
listen to his mother. But Rizal did prove that even if you disobey your elder and
might die in the end, you can still prove something that you intend to be known as
your legacy. That everything that you have sacrificed for, even your life, will still be
worth it because it changed the system of the society, it opened many eyes that was
blinded by the Spanish government, and made Filipinos fight for their country.

2. What are the instances when Rizal manifested a social and political character?

- The instances when Rizal manifested a social and political character is mainly his life.
He was sentenced to death because of knowing too much and saying too much against
the Spanish government. Many of his friends like Padre Jose Burgos, one of the
Martyr Priests that was killed by means of “Garrote”, fell at the hands of the Spanish
government for also opposing and exposing the dirty works of the Spanish
government. But even if these instances lead to tragic endings, Rizal and his fellow
comrades left history on how they bravely defended our country, not by violence but
by mind and the love for their country.

Reference/s:
http://theignoredgenius.blogspot.com/2013/01/rizals-mother-moth-story-and-you.html