NAME: Bustamante, Rex O.

SUBJECT: Life and Works of Rizal

COURSE & BLOCK: BSGE 4A SUBJECT ROFESSOR: Honeylet B. Arandia
TOPIC: Rizal’s Life

CHOOSE ONE (1) PERSONALITY WHO, IN YOUR OPINION, BECAME VERY INFLUENTIAL TO
JOSE RIZAL DURING THE FOLLOWING STAGES OF HIS LIFE. BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY
INFLUENCED RIZAL.

1. Family - Doña Teodora, Jose Rizal’s mother had the greatest influence for Rizal’s
development and aspirations. She served as his first teacher, and taught Rizal all the
significant values, virtues, and life lessons that he used to mold himself into the Rizal we
all know today. Also, her eye condition is the main reason why Rizal is persuaded to
take medicine later into his career.

2. Childhood
In Rizal’s childhood, Doña Teodora is still the greatest influence for Rizal. Rizal’s eyes
and emotions were first opened to the outside world by her. She is the first instructor of
Rizal, she taught him how to read and, as a result, how to value reading as a means of
education and meaningful leisure. She also taught and instilled the value of appreciating
time, and how to use his time for his greatest benefit.

3. Early Education
In Rizal’s early education, Doña Teodora has been his first teacher. She taught him
how to read and how to love reading. Doña Teodora had taught Rizal numerous life
lessons, including generosity, the importance of self-improvement, the value of hard-
earned money, and most significantly, obedience.

4. Higher Education
In Rizal’s higher education, Paciano Rizal is the greatest influence. He is Rizal’s older
brother and he was tasked to supervise his education as guardian in the absence of his
busy parents. He accompanied, enrolled, and financed Rizal to college. Basically, he
worked extremely hard to provide Rizal with most of his necessity. Moreover, he also
supported Rizal’s further education in Europe. He sent letters and information about the
current situation of the Philippines while he is still there.

5. Life Abroad
Ferdinand Blumentritt has been Rizal’s most influencial figure in his life abroad. He
introduced Rizal to prominent thinkers and scholars in Europe. He eventually became
Rizal's mentor, defender, and avid supporter. Via him, Rizal also came into contact with
Dr. Reinhold Rost, who helped him acquire authorization to use the British Museum's
library. As a result, Rizal was able to find Antonio de Morga's Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas, which he then annotated in order to rewrite Philippine history.

6. Exile
In Rizal’s exile, Josephine Bracken has been his most important companion. They
developed a relationship and she became Rizal’s last lover. However, their relationship
had many challenges. Rizal’s sisters accused her of being a spy for the Spaniards. Also,
she is a fairly contentious person in Rizal's life in relation to the rumours of his

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 retraction. The issue here is that the only way for them to get married was if Rizal
withdrew everything he had said and written against the church. It is also a problematic
issue that Rizal is a mason which prevented him from being married to Josephine.
Apparently so, Josephine has also been impregnated by Rizal, but unfortunately their
baby has not been born.

7. Trial and Death

Rizal had been in trial because of his continuous fight against Spanish colonialism
through writing books and novels. There is no single individual that have the
greatest influence in this phase of Rizal’s life, but the hope of finally setting
the Filipino free have been Rizal’s greatest motivation.
After the death of Rizal, Katipunan drew inspiration from him, and formed some of the
foundations of its creation. It is very clear that Rizal's Death drew out the nationalism,
inspiration and pride from most Filipinos. We can even say that this was one of the
causes of the start of the Revolution.