REVOLUTION IN TEXT: AN EXAMINATION OF JOSE

RIZAL’S HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS (1886-1896)

A Research Paper
Presented to
The Faculty of the High School Department
St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina

In partial fulfillment
of the Requirements in English 10 SY 2013-2014

Submitted by
6 Rachel Cabello
15 Francesca Dimatulac
20 Nathalie Flores
24 Clarissa Illustrisimo
32 Noemi Mejia
33 Nicole Miña
37 Aileen Samson
38 Richelle Santos
40 Bianca Suarez
March 2014
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the

significance of the study, the scope and delimitations, the definition of terms, and the conceptual

and theoretical framework.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Jose Rizal is considered by many to be the national hero of the Philippines. Dubbed the

Renaissance Man, he was a genius: proficient in more than twenty languages and equipped with

multiple skills. He did not only hope to secure his country’s social and political reform, but also

wanted his countrymen to be given the same level of education that he had attained.

As most students have been taught in school, Rizal is widely known to be a reformist and

a good example of nonviolent opposition. The researchers aim to test this concept. Previous

studies have been made in the past regarding the topic.

One example of this is the study of Juan Carlo P. Tejano (2011) wherein he elaborated on

the idea that Rizal had fought for liberty both “by pen and by sword” meaning Rizal had

encouraged reformism and revolution among his countrymen.

In addition, according to Floro T. Quibuyen (1996), Rizal had realized that “a peaceful

struggle shall always be a dream,” in his letter to his German friend Ferdinand Blumentritt on

January 26, 1887. This statement could mean that Rizal knew that reformism could lead to

nowhere and that a different means must be used to achieve liberty.

 With regards to the manifesto that Rizal made on December 15, 1896, Gregorio T. Zaide

(1999) stated that Rizal only rejected Masonry and retracted his destructive statements about the

Church but did not retract his liberal ideas and convictions. This could mean that Rizal had not

been completely innocent of the acts of rebellion and sedition accused on him.

Based from these past studies, the researchers will examine the following texts by Jose

Rizal: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo including a critical analysis of his characters, as

well as the novels that inspired him such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Les Miserables, The Count of

Monte Cristo, and The Prince.

THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study rests on the following theoretical and conceptual framework.

According to John Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government (1690), when the people are

oppressed by their leader or ruler, they rebel and revolt. According to Locke, the people are the

best judge as to whether or not their ruler is abusive. To strip a ruler of his power, the people will

revolt to achieve liberty. In this study, the researchers aim to show this revolutionary pattern in

Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo as inspired by the same pattern found in

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Alexandre Dumas’

The Count of Monte Cristo, and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince.

When this pattern or archetype is found among these six novels, Rizal, therefore, was indeed the

inspiration for the revolution led by Andres Bonifacio in 1896 and that Rizal had encouraged the

use of force as a means to attain liberty from the colonizers.

Figure I: The theoretical framework
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Figure II shows the research paradigm of the study. The paradigm shows literary works that had

inspired and were written by Rizal that prove that he had, at least, sympathies for the

revolutionary thought.

In this conceptual model, the researchers will use and examine the novels of Rizal as well as the

novels that had inspired him to write. On the novels that had inspired Rizal, namely Uncle Tom’s

Cabin, Les Miserables, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Prince, the focus is on how they

became an inspiration for Rizal as evident in his works.

The focus on Noli Me Tangere is the exposition of issues concerning society especially with

regards to the characters of Crisostomo Ibarra, Elias, and Pilosopo Tasyo. In El Filibusterismo,

the study centers on Simoun, the lead character, and the revolution he started. The researchers

will analyze and interpret as to what could be Rizal’s opinion of a revolution through his

characters’ dialogues and ideas.

After gathering and analyzing all these information, the researchers aim to identify the pattern or

the archetype common among all the six novels then present the conclusion that Rizal’s writings

indeed influenced the 1896 revolution and started the Filipino resistance and uprising.
Figure II: The conceptual framework
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study has identified the common idea that Jose Rizal was only limited to being

reformist and has no approval or at least sympathies for a revolution. This study seeks to test this

concept and aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the similarities between Rizal’s novels and foreign literature?

2. What’s the common archetype common among the 6 novels?

a. Literary characters

 Characteristics / descriptions

3. Was Rizal a reformist or a revolutionary?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This exploratory and intertextual research aims to prove through the examination of his

texts that Jose Rizal exhibited a revolutionary nature and that he had entertained the idea of an

uprising against the Spanish colonizers. The study will benefit the following:

The Filipinos - Tejano (2011) elaborated in his study that if Filipinos were to aim for a

better nation, it is important to have a more in-depth study of Jose Rizal’s political ideologies.

In his dissertation, Quibuyen (1996) contradicted the common misconception that asserts

Rizal’s opposition of the 1896 revolution led by Andres Bonifacio. This, he said, causes a

“distortion of the past” thus preventing Filipinos from having a “better understanding of their

nation’s history.”
 Therefore, this study will benefit the Filipinos since this will provide them with a better

understanding of Rizal’s political thoughts and ideologies and perhaps apply them in the present.

Also, the Filipinos will become more united with a better sense of their history especially since

Jose Rizal became one of the catalysts for their nation’s independence.

The Historians – The researchers expect that through this study, the historians will

provide a more accurate perspective on the life of Rizal to show a clearer image of the renowned

national hero.

The Students – This study contains historical context that will help enrich their

knowledge regarding the revolts during the Spanish Colonization Period in the Philippines,

particularly the revolution led by Andres Bonifacio in 1896. The study will also provide a critical

analysis on the different characters of Rizal’s novels.

The Modern-day Reformists - If proven that Rizal indeed encouraged and expressed

sympathy to revolution through his literary works, this study will help them disseminate their

petitions regarding the reforms they want in the society through the same method Rizal used:

literary texts.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The study was primarily conducted in order to expose Rizal’s support regarding the armed

struggle through the examination of his written documents from 1886-1896. This includes Noli

Me Tangere (Translation by Charles Derbyshire, 1912) and El Filibusterismo (Translation by

Charles Derbyshire, 1912). For the review of foreign related literature, the group will focus on

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables (1862),
 Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo (1844), and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince

(1515).

The researchers are not knowledgeable enough to make valid interpretations of Rizal’s works.

For this reason, interviews will be conducted with some professionals, who are Grade 9 and

Grade 10 Filipino teachers from St. Scholastica’s Academy – Marikina for SY 2013-2014, for

additional information and consultation.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms are defined operationally:

Hero – This refers to a person who has attained many goals and has qualities that earns

him the admiration of many. A hero may also refer to a savior.

Revolution – This refers to the usually violent attempt by many people to end the rule of

the government and start a new one.

Revolutionary – This refers to a person who is in support of or engages in an armed

revolution especially regarding politics.

Archetype – This refers to a pattern from which copies can be made, a universal theme

that manifests itself differently on an individual basis.

Reform – This refers to the action of improving or changing for the better by removing

or correcting faults and problems gradually.

Reformism – This refers to a doctrine, policy, or movement of reform.

Reformist – This refers to a person who supports or is an advocate of reformism.

 Propaganda – This refers to the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the

purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.

Propagandist – This refers to the person who is involved in producing or spreading

propaganda.

Ilustrado – This refers to the Filipinos who were able to study and be educated during

the Spanish colonization period.

Indio – This refers to how Spanish colonizers call the indigenous Filipinos who belonged

to the bottom of the social class.

Noli Me Tangere – This translates to “Touch Me Not” or “Don’t Touch Me” in English.

El Filibusterismo – This translates to “The Filibustering” in English.

Rebellion – This refers to an effort by many people to change the government or order of

a country through the use of protests or violence.

Sedition – This refers to the act of doing something that turns people to go against and

disobey their government.

Execution – This refers to the act of killing someone especially as punishment for a

crime.
 CHAPTER 2

This chapter deals with the review of local and foreign literature and studies relevant to the

proposed study.

RELATED LITERATURE

The review of literature on this study analyzes related literary works in line with the revolution

and with the revolutionary nature of Jose Rizal. Literature about Jose Rizal’s life and works are

significant to the entire research because it dwells upon Rizal’s perception of a revolution and his

contribution to the nation’s history as a reformist. How he had inspired the 1896 revolution led

by Andres Bonifacio and contributed to the nation’s independence are also significant to this

study.

FOREIGN

According to Alip (1961), Rizal has always been known as a well-traveled man. He went to

foreign lands to study, work, and learn about the different cultures the world has to offer.

In his extensive travels, he picked up a few things from the people and the values that he

immersed himself in. He went around instilling in himself the principles of a true

renaissance man. He educated himself on a wide variety of topics, spanning from the arts,

medicine, and even military tactics though he was still a big purveyor of peace.

During his education in Spain, he engaged in multiple undertakings to fully further enhance his

being. He dabbled in numerous fields such as geography, literature, arts, religion, politics,
science, economy, and sociology. In his study of literature, he was exposed to the thought

provoking and underrated pieces of his time. Being multilingual, he mostly read his books in

their original language such as French, German, English, and Spanish.

In addition, according to Laubach (1936), Uncle Tom’s Cabin was probably the most

prominent book that Rizal has read which eventually inspired him to write his greatest

work, Noli Me Tangere. The author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, mostly focused on the slavery

problem in the south during the mid to late 19th century. It is a book on anti-slavery and

focuses on the life of titular character Uncle Tom as he tries to survive life as a slave during

the pre-civil war era. The whole of the story opened Rizal’s eyes to the horrors and evils of

slavery and oppression. He even approached his fellow intelligentsia about writing a book

that could possibly affect the Philippines just as Uncle Tom’s Cabin affected the United

States.

Rizal also read works by Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. Both authors notably have, one

way or another, sparked a certain sense of nationalism in their countrymen’s hearts. They both

had a penchant for writing about society’s underdogs and the outcasts. Through Les Miserables

and The Count of Monte Cristo, the authors showed what it was like in the working class of

France’s seedy underbelly during the 1800’s. They showed the oppression that the

upperclassmen enacted on their country’s poor. Jose Rizal was inspired and hoped to do what

these great men did for France. He saw his status as one of the nobility of his country as an

opportunity for him to spread his testimony.

Since Les Miserables also compasses the events during the French Revolution, it can be

concluded that Rizal was well aware of the movement of the bourgeois towards liberty, equality,

and fraternity.

Besides Stowe, Hugo, and Dumas, Rizal also knew Niccolo Machiavelli and had read

Machiavelli’s The Prince. According to Pocock (1997), Rizal “recognizes the dangers that newly

independent countries fall into.” That’s why he only wanted to ask for reforms and changes

because he believed that the Philippines needed Spain and that both countries can work together

for progress.

Jose Rizal was a well-read man and behind every great, intelligent man is the support of even

greater books and literature that has, in one way or another, profoundly affected their mind and

way of thinking. His preference shows his nationalistic spirit and his desire for intellectual and

political reform from the Spanish regime.

LOCAL

Besides being a reader, Rizal was a writer as well. He had written quite a number of poems,

essays, and stories since he was young. Being one of the lucky few who were able to study

overseas, Rizal had been aware of and exposed to the liberal ideas in Europe.

Thus began his quest, together with other reformists, for reforms, specifically, equal rights,

assimilation, and representation in the Spanish government. The efforts of the

propagandists were not totally wasted, according to Romero, Santos, and Sta. Romana

(2003). The government was not completely deaf to their cries. Their way of responding was

through laws such as the Provincial Reform of 1886, the Becerra Law, and Maura Law of 1883.
These, however, greatly disappointed the Filipinos because these weren’t the reforms they were

looking for.

Because of this, Rizal never stopped in his quest for social justice, even extending his revolution

against stupidity. He wanted the intellectual of the Filipino society to read his work to be

inspired to take up arms and fight for their freedom. He wanted people to use his work to inspire

national pride that would help them get their country back.

Always thinking about his country, he made plans for their revolt and also started La Liga

Filipina and a Filipino community in Borneo while he was in Hong Kong. He said that the

community was the least he could do if he wouldn’t be successful in his reformation.

The idea of nationalism was presented in many works of Rizal, but his “first urgent call for

nationalism” according to Crisostomo (1999), was in Noli Me Tangere. This novel exposed

the oppression and abuses experienced by the Filipinos from the Spanish administration

including the friars and the civil guards.

Rizal explained that the Latin title Noli Me Tangere meant ‘do not touch me’ or ‘touch me not’

and was taken from the gospel of St. Luke – which later turned out to be a mistake since it came

from the gospel of St. John – in a letter to Felix Hidalgo in 1887.

The story of Noli Me Tangere starts as Crisostomo Ibarra returns home to San Diego. Having

been exposed to liberal and modern ideas when he stayed in Europe for seven years, he plans to

build a school for the indios with the hopes that education will be the means through which his

country will progress.

Whenever a threat to his life occurs, Ibarra sees Elias, who saves him just in time. Elias, who

turns out to be a descendant of the man oppressed by Ibarra’s ancestors, seeks Ibarra’s help

instead of taking revenge on him. He sees the intellectual, modern Ibarra as a catalyst for the

change he wants in the state. He became a spokesperson of the abused and the victims. In the

end, he encourages Ibarra to start a revolution, but Ibarra refuses. Ibarra shows Rizal’s mindset

that Spain and the Philippines are but one nation wherein “loyalty to one is loyalty to the other”.

Throughout the novel, many conflicts arose and in the end, Ibarra was accused of starting the

uprising in San Diego and was dubbed an “erehe” and “filibustero”. He was excommunicated

from the Church and separated from his childhood friend and lover, Maria Clara. At the end of

the novel, Ibarra escapes his perpetrators and was never heard from for a long time while Elias

died.

Why had Rizal created his characters Crisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara, Elias, Sisa and his sons

Crispin and Basilio, the de Espadañas, and the friars Salvi and Damaso? These characters’

sufferings, their own traits, their greed, and their very lives were a reflection of the Filipinos

themselves. To open his countrymen’s eyes to the widespread oppression and abuse and to

promote awareness – these were Rizal’s purposes for writing Noli Me Tangere despite having

gone through a lot in the process of writing.

It was through these characters that Rizal expressed his sentiment towards reform and revolution.

In chapter 49 of The Social Cancer (Rizal as translated by Derbyshire, 1912), Rizal shows his

own inner conflict through Ibarra and Elias’ argument. To revolt or not to?
Through the intellectual Ibarra and vengeful Elias, Rizal realized how the colonizers have

become too deaf to listen to the proposed reforms. “Was force the last resort then?” Crisostomo

(1999) wrote. “A million Ibarras would indeed be useless now.”

In the novel, Crisostomo Ibarra as a man accused of many things not of his own doing, just like

Rizal himself. Rizal to the 1896 revolution was like Ibarra to the uprising in San Diego. They

were both accused and found guilty in a crime they did not commit. Some even say that the

revolt in El Filibusterismo was Andres Bonifacio’s basis for the onset in Manila.

Through the character of Tasyo, on the other hand, Rizal complains of both the people and the

colonizers. According to him, “the government sees nothing, hears nothing, nor does it decide

anything, except what the curate of the Provincial causes it to see, hear, and decide.”

The Filipinos, too, have their fair share of defects. “This people do not complain because it has

no voice, it does not move because it is lethargic.” (Chapter 25, Rizal as translated by

Derbyshire, 1912)

Rizal wrote all these because Noli Me Tangere was about the Philippines as a whole. It did not

put the blame solely on the Spanish colonizers because the Filipinos themselves have their own

wrongdoings and defects as portrayed by different characters in the novel.

During and long after the Spanish colonization period, Noli Me Tangere goes unread not solely

because it discusses sensitive matters but also because most people persistently avoid the novel.

That which literally translates to ‘touch me not’ or ‘don’t touch me’ has indeed become

untouchable.
Noli Me Tangere’s sequel, El Filibusterismo, or “The Filibustering” in English, “was Rizal’s

contribution in acquainting the people with the demands of the revolution so that they would

have sufficient basis for whatever decision they were to take,” according to Professor Ricardo

Pascual of the University of the Philippines.

In the story of El Filibusterismo, Simoun, filled with hatred and anger, returns to the Philippines

after 13 years with a plan to overthrow the government. He yields great influence being a jeweler

and an adviser of the captain-general. He encourages the government officials to corrupt and

oppress the people more. In this way, he thinks the people will soon be fed up and start to revolt

against their oppressors.

If in Noli Me Tangere, Ibarra believes that Spain and the Philippines are “two parts of one

nation”, Simoun in the sequel now wants separation. As he had told Basilio, the youth should

want to be independent, a nation standing on its own two feet instead of wanting to be merely

treated equally and to be a province of Spain, because “by that road you will become only a poor

copy, and the people should look higher. “ So that “neither by right, nor custom, nor language,

the Spaniard can be considered the master here, nor even be looked upon as a part of the country,

but ever as an invader, a foreigner, and sooner or later you will have your liberty.” (Chapter 7,

Rizal as translated by Derbyshire, 1912) Rizal even told Blumentritt in their February 21, 1887

correspondence that “the Filipinos had long wished for hispanization and they were wrong in

aspiring for it.” (Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission)

With all these, had Rizal really encouraged the revolution through his texts? Or had he, perhaps,

only wanted to achieve freedom and liberty through peaceful means?

When Pio Valenzuela came to visit him on June 21, 1896, Rizal was faced with a difficult

decision. The Katipuneros were planning to get him out of Talisay, Dapitan and bring him to
Japan. To escape or not to escape? To escape would mean admitting his quilt. According to

Crisostomo (1999), “He would be branded a coward, too, and a fugitive.” To escape would also

mean supporting the revolution and helping the Philippines to be a free, independent nation. In

the end, Rizal refuses Valenzuela’s offer.

Rizal’s excuses and reasons led to his countrymen’s frustrations and to another man named

Andres Bonifacio rising up to take action.

“At that moment, Jose was thinking of the man Andres Bonifacio whose name hardly rang a bell

in his mind but whose courage, patriotism, and organizational ability impressed and amazed him.

More than thirty thousand members, with thousands more coming in! What kind of a man was

this Gat Andres that he could wield such spell and power over multitudes? His admiration almost

turned to absolute awe and disbelief when Valenzuela told him Bonifacio was a lowly peasant,

without any formal education, born to a family so poor young Andres had to manufacture an sell

canes and paper fans to help feed his younger brothers and sisters, and that he was a simple

warehouseman, bodeguero, at the time he founded the Katipunan.” (Joaquin, 1996)

RELATED STUDY

FOREIGN

According to Morris (Jose Rizal and the Challenge of Philippines Independence), the identity of

the Filipino people was not merely determined solely by the contributions of Rizal. Rizal was an

educated man and through him, Bonifacio and the Katipunan had become successful. This

proved his strong influence among the oppressed Filipinos who have long been suffering. If

Rizal had not spearheaded the enlightenment of the Filipinos, there wouldn’t be a Philippine
nation. Rizal has accustomed that the success of the revolution is the result of the participation of

all the sectors of the society. Rizal believed that his aspirations for the country could be attained

by peaceful means, but in an article in La Solidaridad entitled, “The Philippines a Century

Hence,” he acknowledged what could possibly happen throughout the process.

The real personality of Dr. José Rizal remains as an undisclosed case in the Philippines today.

Though Rizal is acknowledged as a national hero, several criticisms still arise from his enemies.

Time tests all of history’s greatest figures and how much the critics try to bring Rizal down.

Undeniably through his writings, Rizal has enlightened and uplifted the spirit of nationalism

among his countrymen. Also through his works, Rizal paved the way by creating the authentic

identity of Filipinos. Not only did Rizal sacrifice his own life for the love of the country, but

more importantly for the relevance of humanity and in preparation for the generations to come.

Being one of the few privileged Filipinos who were able to study, Jose Rizal had many

achievements as a student. He had many skills and talents such as drawing and sculpting. But

perhaps two of the most notable of these achievements are his novels Noli Me Tangere and El

Filibusterismo. It was through these works that eventually result to the country’s freedom from

the Spanish colonizers.

Morris (Jose Rizal and the Challenge of Philippines Independence) lays Rizal’s life and works

side by side with that of Mohandas Ghandhi and Rabindranath Tagore in India and Sun Yat-sen

in China. This “First Filipino”, together with the aforementioned men, acted as a catalyst for the

ideas of liberty and equality among his countrymen, especially as these Filipinos are struggling

to get a hold of their national identity after hundreds of years under colonizers.
The Noli Me Tangere is a reflection of the Filipino society during the Spanish era. According to

Craig (1913), it was “a mirror of Philippine life.” Through the different characters, Rizal

portrayed characters as if they were true-to-life. This, perhaps, was a result of spending a lot of

time in the church near their home when he was still a young boy not to pray or hear Mass but to

watch and observe people. Because he could not do it all on his own, Rizal asked his

countrymen’s help. He wanted their full cooperation, or else everything will be in vain. It will be

the Filipinos’ fault, he said, if they had been abused and robbed of their rights and did not

complain or do anything about it. As always, Rizal believed that education is the key to the most

awaited freedom.

In the Noli Me Tangere’s sequel, El Filibusterismo, Ibarra returns to the Philippines in disguise.

He seeks revenge against the society that turned against him and his ancestors and separated him

from his loved one. If, in the Noli Me Tangere, Rizal seems to be opposing violence through

Ibarra’s refusal to join the uprising in San Diego, he now seems to be advocating the use of force

through the character of Simoun in the El Filibusterismo.

Through both the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, he had shown the effects of the

Spanish colonization on the Filipinos and the numerous possibilities if ever Spain stays any

longer. By the time these works were in circulation, Rizal believed he had done all he could.

LOCAL

According to Floro Quibuyen’s study Imagining the Nation: Rizal, American Hegemony and

Philippine Nationalism (1996), there were two ideas that perpetuated in the late 19th century.

The first idea states that it wasn’t primarily Rizal’s goal to create an independent Filipino nation

but, instead, the hispanization of the Philippines. The second one centers on Rizal’s La Liga
Filipina and Bonifacio’s Katipunan as it asserts Bonifacio as a poor laborer and that Katipunan

was an organization for the poor and ignorant.

With regards to the first concept, it was emphasized that as early as 1887, Rizal has expressed

that independence through peaceful struggle is nothing but a dream and that seeking assimilation

to Spain was a mistake, as stated in his two letters to his friend Ferdinand Blumentritt in 1887.

Rizal’s last poem was disseminated to the revolutionaries through Bonifacio’s translation.

Rizal’s words were “sin dudas, sin pesar” or “without doubts, without gloom” as translated by

Nick Joaquin meant that Rizal had a better understanding of the war that was going on. He is in

some ways connected to it. He admires those who are fighting, but he does not entirely agree

with their means.

According to Quibuyen (1996), when Rizal chose to die in martyrdom in 1896, the revolutionary

masses immediately turned to him as an inspiration for the revolution. His life and works were

viewed as a reenactment of the Pasyon wherein Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection were

portrayed. To them, Rizal’s martyrdom marked him as the Tagalog Christ.

Dr. Jose Rizal is known to many as a reformist who wanted peace and reforms in the Philippines.

But in his novel, El Filibusterismo, the second installment of his famous work Noli Me Tangere,

revolution was quite vivid in the character of Simoun. Formerly known as Don Crisostomo

Ibarra, Simoun returns to the story to avenge the death of his love Maria Clara and take revenge

on those who maltreated him.

Simoun plotted two revolutions during the course of the story but both were unsuccessful.

According to Tejano (2011), this certain event caused a number of questions to arise about Rizal
not letting the two revolutions happen. If the style Rizal used in creating both revolutions was

further examined, it can be found that Simoun used the different classes in the society to cause a

huge chaos that would wreck the social system of colonialism from the inside.

The revolution in the novel was ultimately based on emotions and not on intellectual means. In

fact, it seems to be that Rizal made sure that these two revolutions never happen. When Simoun

found out about Maria Clara’s death, the first revolution did not push through. The same goes for

the second one, due to Isagani’s love for Paulita, he snatched the lamp containing the bomb and

the second revolution was no more. Rizal’s message is clear: a revolution should not be based on

pure emotion. There should be a deeper reason and the people involved in it should have a better

understanding of these reasons. As what Father Florentino said to Simoun in the latter part of the

story, “when our people is unprepared, when it enters the fight through fraud and force, without a

clear understanding of what it is doing, the wisest attempts will fail, and better that they do fail.”

(Chapter 39, Rizal as translated by Derbyshire, 1912)

SUMMARY

This review of both literature and studies has enriched this research by providing a more in-depth

analysis of Rizal’s two novels, including his characters, the dialogues, and the setting, and by

showing his several influences.

Besides having been educated both in the Philippines and overseas, Jose Rizal was an avid

reader, which especially shaped his thinking, speaking, and writing. Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin,

Hugo’s Les Miserables, Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, and Machiavelli’s The Prince

became the motivation and inspiration for Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The

characters in his own literary works reflected Rizal’s past, as well as his own opinion and ideas.
However, Rizal has made it clear through his works that the fault is not only on the Spanish

colonizers because the Filipinos themselves have their own fair share of shortcomings.

These six literary works were found out to contain a common archetype which is parallel to John

Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government which states that the people, when driven by their

rulers to misery through oppression and abuse, tend to revolt to achieve freedom.

In addition, this review strengthened the researchers’ stand that Rizal was not only a reformist,

but a revolutionary as well based on an in-depth analysis of two of his literary works. This

chapter also emphasizes on Rizal being a catalyst for the beginning of the revolution given his

influences on Andres Bonifacio for the 1896 revolt.

At one point, Rizal himself had been tempted to ignite a revolution against the Spanish regime,

but he reconsidered many factors such as weaponry, proper timing, etc. Without all these, he had

predicted that the Filipinos were bound to lose, no matter how noble their intentions are. Also, he

made it a point that a revolution should not be fueled by self-interest, as made evident by his

literary characters. However, he was also aware of the fact that the proposed reforms are set to be

rejected, and so he believed in the inevitability of starting a revolution only under the right

circumstances.

His works may have been banned from universities and deemed “untouchable”, and Rizal may

have been sentenced to death by firing squad in Bagumbayan, but his influence to the Filipinos

will remain long after his death.

 CHAPTER 3

The purpose of the study is to prove through the examination of his texts that Jose Rizal

exhibited a revolutionary nature and that he had entertained the idea of an uprising against the

Spanish colonizers. The purposes of this chapter are to describe the methodology used in the

study, explain how the respondents were identified, what sampling technique was used, describe

the procedure used in collecting the data, and provide an explanation of the statistical tool used

to interpret the data.

METHOD OF RESEARCH

A historical method of research was used for this study. Series of literary examinations were

conducted in order to intensify the search for intertextual connections among the selected

documents and accounts. In this study, the researchers used secondary sources. An interview was

also administered among the identified individuals, the Grade 9 and Grade 10 Filipino teachers,

who are knowledgeable in the field of study. The study generally calls for massive facts, ideas

and previous studies which will support the researchers’ claim of Rizal exhibiting a
revolutionary nature through his texts. The study also used foreign literature to look for the

revolutionary archetype explained in the first chapter of this study. The researchers chose a

historical method of research and designed a questionnaire for interview in order to

systematically establish the certain facts that will attempt to prove that Jose Rizal was a

revolutionary.

RESPONDENTS / SUBJECTS OF THE STUDY

For this study, the technique used to identify the respondents is the criterion sampling technique.

Patton (1990) wrote that criterion sampling identifies subjects who fall under the specified

criteria, thus ensuring the quality of the response. Through this technique, the predetermined

criteria can also filter only the information-rich cases that are to be used for the research. For this

case, the researchers have identified the criteria to be:

a.) St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina teachers for the school year 2013-2014

SUBJECT AREA FACULTY

CLE Mrs. Carolyn Soriano
  Mrs. Myra Tingson
  Ms. Cheril Acquiatan
  Mr. Dexter Gonzales
  Mrs. Teresa Pangilinan
   
FILIPINO Mrs. Marycil Labasan
  Mrs. Myra Guirre
  Mrs. Laniflor Adigue
  Mrs. Rowena Pantaleon
  Mrs. Elsie Ramirez
Mrs. Sheryl Cinco
   
ENGLISH Mrs. Ma. Concepcion De Dios
  Mrs. Menere Nasiad
  Ms. Janina Iglesias
  Mrs. Grace Abdon
  Ms. Ma. Cecilia De Leon
  Ms. Charity Faith Faminialagao
  Mrs. Anita Ramos
  Ms. Sherlyn Caluma
   
MATHEMATICS Mrs. Catherine Patrocinio 
  Ms. Merlina Motas
  Mrs. Nelia Zafra
  Mrs. Lina Sierra
  Mrs. Rosario Armada
  Ms. Anunciacion Gabor
  Dr. Joselito Pascual
  Mrs. Rowena Zamora
   
SCIENCE Ms. Josephine Tiongson
  Ms. Cynthia Delos Reyes
  Ms. Mary Glorace Jacob
  Mrs. Rhodora Benito
  Mr. Reynald Alfred Recede
  Mr. Amor Mallari
  Mrs. Karen Cardinoza
  Mrs. Ma. Isabelita Soriano
   
SOCIAL STUDIES Mrs. Marilou Pacis
  Ms. Cecilia Manalastas
  Mrs. Rowena Dela Peña
   Mr. Mar Evan Morales
  Ms. Ailyn Anagaran
  Ms. Beverly Grace Abergos
   
TLE Mrs. Jill Ann Dayag
  Ms. Charisse Gueco
  Ms. Jemelyn Arzaga
  Ms. Eva Jaravata
  Mr. Arman Odevillas
   
MAPEH Ms. Rosita Aspilan
  Ms. Rowena Raquidan
  Mrs. Ingrid Delfino
  Ms. Marlyn Paghubasan
  Ms. Jenifer Biglang-awa
  Ms. Janice Derilo
  Mrs. Gloria Diuco
   

TOTAL: 53

b.) Teachers from the Filipino area

FILIPINO Mrs. Marycil Labasan

  Mrs. Myra Guirre
  Mrs. Laniflor Adigue
  Mrs. Rowena Pantaleon
  Mrs. Elsie Ramirez
   Mrs. Sheryl Cinco
TOTAL: 6

c.) Grade 9 and Grade 10 teachers

Mrs. Laniflor Adigue

 Mrs. Rowena Pantaleon
Mrs. Elsie Ramirez
Mrs. Marycil Labasan
Mrs. Sheryl Cinco
TOTAL: 5

Thus, the criteria narrowed the respondents into five teachers, namely Mrs. Laniflor Adigue,

Mrs. Rowena Pantaleon, Mrs. Marycil Labasan, Mrs. Sheryl Cinco, and Mrs. Elsie Ramirez.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

The questionnaire that will be used in the study was developed by the researchers. It will gather

additional information about the analysis and interpretation of Rizal’s two literary works from

people who are knowledgeable about the topic. The respondents were chosen using the criterion

sampling technique.

Question number one first listed some of Rizal’s life experiences (Rizal’s education at the

Ateneo Municipal de Manila, his plan to hold the land on which he was the university’s tenant,

his exile in Dapitan, the imprisonment of his mother, Teodora Alonzo, and his friendship and

correspondence with Ferdinand Blumentritt) which may have possibly inspired the revolutionary

idea in his novels. The respondents are to choose as many as possible from given options.

Question number two presented a previous finding that Jose Rizal’s literary characters mirrored

his own self. The interviewee is to check the box of the character that is most likely to be a

reflection of Rizal himself. There should only be one answer. The choices are Crisostomo

Ibarra, Elias, Pilosopo Tasyo, Simoun, Kabesang Tales, and Basilio, who are all main characters
from Rizal’s two novels. These options were chosen as they were the names commonly found in

the review of related literature. If the interviewee has an answer which is not among the choices,

there is an option wherein he or she can specify his or her specific answer. In this item, the

interviewee is already presented the choices so as to avoid having too many possible answers.

The third question examines the interviewee’s opinion as to how Rizal may have influenced the

Filipinos’ idea of patriotism and liberty in general terms, such as in education, politics, etc. This

item addresses the first question in the statement of the problem, which is about how Rizal could

have inspired a revolution through his texts.

The fourth item asks for the interviewee’s opinion as to whether or not Jose Rizal was a

reformist. If his or her answer is yes, then he or she is to state the reasons why this was so. If the

answer is no, then the interviewee is to move on to the next item.

The fifth item asks for the interviewee’s opinion as to whether or not Jose Rizal was a

revolutionist. If the answer is yes, then the interviewee is to state how he or she came up with

this conclusion.

There are five questions presented in the questionnaire. These questions were developed from

previous findings in the review of related literature and studies and also from the statement of the

problem. The questionnaire was formulated in accordance to the guidelines set by Miller

(Tipsheet: Question Wording) for making an effective questionnaire.

1. Avoid double-barreled questions.

2. Avoid erroneous assumptions.

3. Clarify ambiguous and imprecise terms or break them down into several questions.
 4. Define terms very specifically when necessary.

5. Avoid loaded, leading, emotional, or evocative language as it can bias responses.

6. Avoid confusing, technical, or academic terms.

7. Balance questions to make positive and negative responses “ok”.

8. Consider providing counterarguments in the question itself.

9. Avoid complex sentences

The answers to the questions rely mostly on the interviewee’s opinion and perspective and will

be used as additional information for the conclusion.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

The data for this research are gathered from the questionnaires that were disseminated to the

Grade 9 and Grade 10 Filipino teachers in St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina for SY 2013-

2014 namely: Mrs. Laniflor Adigue, Mrs. Rowena Pantaleon, Mrs. Marycil Labasan, Mrs. Sheryl

Cinco, and Mrs. Elsie Ramirez. The questionnaire, given to the respondents on February 2014, is

comprised of five comprehensive questions that are related to the interviewees’ perception about

the idea of Rizal being a revolutionary aside from the eminent fact that he is a reformist. The

questionnaire was first sent through e-mail to the English teacher, Ms. Sherlyn Caluma, to ensure

that the questions formulated will strongly generate information that would validate the research,

before the questionnaires were to be distributed to the respondents.

The researchers did not conduct any survey since the research does not require the opinions of

the population who do not meet the criteria set using the Criterion Sampling Technique. This
technique was applied in order to obtain substantial data from people who are directly involved

in this field of study.

All the questionnaires are properly organized and compiled for analysis. The respondents

returned the questionnaires also in February 2014. However, some of the respondents failed to

answer some of the items due to unknown reasons. Also, one option in the first item in the

questionnaire (Exile in Dapitan) was found to be invalid since Rizal’s exile in Dapitan happened

after his two novels were already published and in circulation. Substantial information gathered

will be used for analysis and conclusion.

 CHAPTER 4

This chapter presents the data gathered and collected. The data was gathered from the respondents chosen

through the criterion sampling technique. The data will be processed to answer the problems presented in

the first chapter of this study and will act as additional information for the conclusion.

The questionnaire was developed by the researchers and followed the guidelines set by Miller (2013).

These questionnaires were disseminated to the respondents on February 2014. Four out of the five

respondents returned the questionnaires, resulting to an 80% response rate.

The following are the contents of the questionnaire.

Question 1- Which among Rizal’s life experiences listed below paved the way for the inclusion of

revolutionary thoughts in his novels: Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo? (Choose as many as

possible.)

One of the choices (Exile in Dapitan) in the first question was found out to be invalid after the

questionnaires were disseminated to the respondents. The option is invalid since Rizal’s two novels were

already published before he was exiled in Dapitan and so this life experience may not be a possible

inspiration for his novels. The researchers, in the findings analysis, did not consider “Exile in Dapitan” as

an answer if ever the respondents included that option.

Question 2- According to previous studies, Rizal’s main characters reflected his own self. Which of the

following characters may have been Rizal’s “mirror”? (Choose only one.)
 If the respondents select the option “Crisostomo Ibarra”, “Pilosopo Tasyo”, or “Basilio”, it will imply that

Rizal was a reformist whereas when the option “Simoun”, “Kabesang Tales”, or “Elias” is selected,

Rizal’s identity as a revolutionist will be implied.

Question 3- How did Rizal's novels, Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, develop the idea of Filipinos

regarding patriotism and freedom in general (education, politics, socioeconomic status, etc.)?

Question 4- Given the theoretical bases in Questions #1 and #2, do you personally believe that Rizal was

a REFORMIST? (If yes, what makes you say so? If no, skip to #5.)

Question 5- Given the theoretical bases in Questions #1 and #2, do you personally believe that Rizal was

a REVOLUTIONIST? (If yes, what makes you say so?)

Mrs. Elsie Ramirez Mrs. Laniflor Adigue Mrs. Rowena Mrs. Marycil
Pantaleon Labasan

Question 1 Imprisonment of Imprisonment of Rizal attends Ateneo No response

Teodora Alonzo Teodora Alonzo Municipal de Manila
as a day scholar,
Rizal’s father was
compelled to prove
that he had no
knowledge of his
son’s plan in order to
hold the land on
which he was the
university’s tenant,
imprisonment of
Teodora Alonzo
Question 2 Crisostomo Ibarra, Elias Crisostomo Ibarra Crisostomo Ibarra
Elias, Pilosopo Tasyo,
Simoun, Kabesang
Tales, Basilio, Isagani,
Placido Penitente

Question 3 Both novels show When Filipinos seek No response The abusive scenarios
what was truly for justice, love, in his novels, unjust
happening to the peace, and order treatment among the
country and people at characters made a call
that time. of freedom and
patriotism.

Question 4 He was a reformist – Rizal was neither a No response Yes, he reveals in his
he wanted changes in reformist nor a two novels the issues
politics, education, revolutionist. He was that need to be
and religion. considered a corrected, reformed,
propagandist. and changed.

Question 5 He was a revolutionist Answer not applicable No response Answer not applicable
also – but a silent one.
He would not speak
about it openly but
uses his writings to
show one side of him
which some of his
characters in his
novels portray.

Figure III: Presentation of data

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY

The purposes of this study evolve around Jose Rizal and his revolutionary nature – what

techniques he had used in his novels to encourage a revolution, his own opinion of an armed

struggle based on his own texts, and a pattern common among his novels and other foreign

literature. This study required a critical examination of Rizal’s literary works, more specifically,

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The foreign works included were Uncle Tom’s Cabin by
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte

Cristo, and Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince. Literature about Rizal’s life, works, and

contributions to the country, as well as previously made studies related to the topic, were

significant to this study.

To make this research more valid, the researchers made interviews with experts, who were

chosen through the criterion sampling technique. Through this technique, the respondents were

narrowed down to five of the Grade 9 and Grade 10 Filipino teachers from St. Scholastica’s

Academy Marikina in the school year 2013-2014. The research instrument used was developed

by the researchers and followed the guidelines set by Miller (Tipsheet: Question Wording).

The questionnaire was developed by the researchers and given to the respondents on February

2014. The first question aimed to know what life instances of Rizal could have possibly

influenced his two novels. Question number two of the research instrument listed Rizal’s main

literary characters (Crisostomo Ibarra, Elias, Pilosopo Tasyo, Simoun, Kabesang Tales, and

Basilio) and the respondents were to choose which of the characters reflected Rizal the most. If

the respondents select the option “Crisostomo Ibarra”, “Pilosopo Tasyo”, or “Basilio”, it will

imply that Rizal was a reformist whereas when the option “Simoun”, “Kabesang Tales”, or

“Elias” is selected, Rizal’s identity as a revolutionist will be implied. Finally, the last three

questions are opinion-based. The respondents were asked how Rizal’s novels had developed the

Filipinos’ idea of freedom. Lastly, the respondents were to decide whether Rizal was a reformist

or a revolutionist and give the rationale for this conclusion.

The data gathered from the interviews as well as from the critical examination of literature

addressed the problems presented in the first chapter of this research paper. This data also helped

in the formulation of the conclusion.

CONCLUSION

After the intertextual study and interviews conducted, the researchers have identified several

similarities among Rizal’s two novels and foreign literature.

In Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, religion played a big role in the lives of the character. This is

similar to how the characters in Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo lived their lives.

The only difference is that Uncle Tom’s faith played a positive role in his life while Christianity

in Rizal’s two novels is portrayed with abusive and corrupt friars such as Padre Damaso, Padre

Camorra, Padre Salvi, etc. Also, there were sexual abuses experienced in both novels. For

example, Maria Clara’s real father was Padre Damaso, who raped Pia Alba, Maria Clara’s

mother. Although not stated exactly in the novel, it is implied that Maria Clara suffered sexual

abuses inside the convent. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Emmeline was a sex slave to Simon Legree,

the owner of the plantation.

In Hugo’s Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is similar to Crisostomo Ibarra. Both were wronged and

judged by society. Marius, in a way, is also similar to Ibarra. Marius, a part of the insurrection,

mirrors Simoun in the revolution. As Marius became the voice for the oppressed in the

revolution, Elias also became the spokesman for his countrymen while planning the uprising.

In The Count of Monte Cristo, Rizal’s Crisostomo Ibarra and Dumas’ Edmond Dantes shared

many similarities. Among these is when Crisostomo Ibarra returned to the Philippines as Simoun
to seek revenge from the people who condemned him. As in The Count of Monte Cristo,

Edmond Dantes returns to Marseilles as Zatarra to avenge his being imprisoned despite being

innocent. Also, Simoun became a rich jeweler while Zatarra found the treasures of Spada and

used it to make himself the count of Monte Cristo.

The themes in Machiavelli’s The Prince are similar to some of the characters’ principles. For

example, Machiavelli’s idea of self-preservation and self-interest (Chapter 3, 1515) is like

Simoun’s way of thinking. “Let the unfit perish and only the strongest survive!” (Chapter 7,

Rizal as translated by Derbyshire, 1912)

Moreover, the researchers found the revolutionary archetype common among Rizal’s works and

other foreign literature. This pattern, first presented by John Locke in his Second Treatise on

Civil Government, explains that when leaders or rulers become abusive of their power, it leads to

the people’s misery. This misery will urge the people to revolt against their leaders to achieve

liberty.

First, in Rizal’s two novels, the revolutionary archetype is evident in Elias and Simoun. As was

mentioned earlier, Elias from Noli Me Tangere, experienced injustices as if he inherited them

from his grandfather, his father and his uncle, and even his twin sister. Since he had met

Crisostomo Ibarra, whom he knew to be influential and intelligent, he wanted Ibarra to work

with him in an armed struggle for freedom.

Simoun from El Filibusterismo, on the other hand, is actually Crisostomo Ibarra back for

revenge. He encouraged greed and corruption in the government to push the people to their limits

and revolt. Kabesang Tales, after having his land taken from him by a corporation, his daughter

Juli taken in as a slave, and his father Tandang Selo imprisoned, decided to work with the
tulisan. According to Simoun, “The evil is not in that there are tulisanes in the mountains and

uninhabited parts—the evil lies in the tulisanes in the towns and cities,” (Chapter 11, Rizal as

translated by Derbyshire, 1912) like himself and like all the government officials and friars.

Kabesang Tales was one of those whom Simoun planned the revolt with.

In Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the masters, although some were kind, still end up selling their

slaves, treating them more as objects rather than people. Simon Legree of the Legree plantation

was an abusive master to his slaves. The abuses were not only beatings, but also sexual

harassments and religious persecution. Although Uncle Tom did not fight back, he rebelled

against Legree by still secretly reading the Bible and helping the other slaves instead of beating

them. In the end, freedom came to Uncle Tom too late, just as he was about to die a martyr death.

The rigid social structures were the cause of the injustices in Hugo’s Les Miserables. Problems

like the maltreatment of women and faulty justice system urged the people to the movements,

insurrections, and barricades of the French Revolution.

When the captain of the ship died, Edmond Dantes of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo was

tasked to deliver a letter Napoleon Bonaparte, who was exiled in the island of Elba. Napoleon

was a prominent figure during the French Revolution, and he eventually became the emperor of

the French Empire. The Count of Monte Cristo presented many Bonapartist ideas. Edmond

Dantes was against the political injustices especially in regards to the punishment for different

crimes. Like Bonaparte, Dantes wanted individual rights. The tyranny in politics was explained

by Noirtier. “In politics . . . there are no men, but ideas—no feelings, but interests; in politics we

do not kill a man, we only remove an obstacle.” (Dumas, 1844) Having been framed, Dantes was

denounced and imprisoned since Bonapartist ideas were illegal. Fourteen years in prison instilled
patience and the longing to be free in Dantes. He became friends with Abbe Faria and learned of

the treasures awaiting him in Monte Cristo. When Abbe Faria was found dead, Dantes pretended

to be the corpse. As the supposed-to-be corpse was thrown out into the sea, Dantes swims his

way to freedom and to revenge.

Machiavelli’s The Prince discussed how “it is better to be feared than loved.” The revolutionary

archetype in The Prince is in the perspective of the leader. According to Machiavelli, the abuses

“must be done at once” so that the people may easily recover from them and they will have no

chance to harbor rebellious thoughts. The favors and good deeds, however, “must be done slowly

and not at once so their impact would last longer.” If ever the ruler does not follow Machiavelli’s

rule and does the abuses for a long time, the people will begin to revolt to displace their leader.

Also, the researchers conclude that Rizal’s writings indeed were a catalyst for the 1896

revolution led by Andres Bonifacio. Joaquin (1996) explained how Simoun’s first planned revolt

was the Bonifacio’s basis for the onset in Manila. According to Professor Ricardo Pascual of the

University of the Philippines, El Filibusterismo was somehow a manual for a revolution, wherein

Rizal implied the needs and demands of an uprising.

Finally, the researchers therefore conclude that Jose Rizal is both a reformist and a revolutionist.

By definition, a reformist is one who advocates for change to an existing problem or fault. A

revolutionist, on the other hand, is one who engages in an armed attempt to end the rule of the

government and start a new one. According to Gillego (1990), Rizal favored both revolution and

reformism. However, as according to Rizal’s letter to Ferdinand Blumentritt on January 26,

1887, “a peaceful struggle shall always be a dream,” (Jose Rizal National Centennial

Commission) which means he had known all along that reformism could lead nowhere. This
statement of Rizal can also be interpreted as his admission of the inevitability of a revolution.

However, he only saw revolution as a second option if ever reformism was to fail.

Through his two literary works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Rizal depicted his

opinions of both reformism and revolution. His characters, such as Pilosopo Tasyo and

Crisostomo Ibarra, portrayed the reformist Rizal. The two figures only wanted change in the

existing government. They wanted education, equal rights, hispanization, etc. Crisostomo Ibarra

even believed that Spain and the Philippines are “two parts of one nation” and that “loyalty to

one is loyalty to the other.” Pilosopo Tasyo, also, knew that Ibarra was to fail. However, “some

grain would have survived the catastrophe to grow and save the species from destruction and to

serve afterwards as the seed for the sons of the dead sower. The example may encourage others

who are only afraid to begin.” This can be interpreted as Rizal believing that even though he may

fail in his reforms, others will be inspired to continue where he had left off.

Elias and Simoun embodied the revolutionist Rizal. These two characters, in Noli Me Tangere

and El Filibusterismo respectively, were revolutionists for a reason. Elias, a man of misfortunes,

encouraged Ibarra to start a revolution. He enumerated the reasons: the inhuman punishments,

tyrant government officials, etc. He even believed that the Philippines was suffering from a

“chronic malady”, and that Spain was “a bad doctor” who “seeks only to destroy or stifle the

symptoms without an effort to examine into the origin of the malady, or, when knowing it, fears

to attack it.”

Simoun, on the other hand, had an even greater tactic. He worked his way into the government

and, when he became the captain-general’s adviser, he “hastened the corruption.” This way, he

believed, the people will be soon fed up with the abuses and oppression that they will be urged to
revolt. He even disapproved of hispanization and the Filipinos’ education in the Spanish

language because he believed that “language is the thought of the people.” If the people preserve

their own language, they preserve their own identity. It was through these two characters that

Rizal presented his revolutionary ideas.

According to Zaide (1999), “Ibarra and Elias represented Rizal himself.” Since Ibarra is

considered as a reformist and Elias as a revolutionary, it can be concluded that Zaide believed in

Rizal’s reformist-revolutionary nature. Gillego (1990) explained how reform and revolution are

not totally opposites. According to Crisostomo (1999), Rizal believed in both means. Rizal even

admired Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the Katipunan, according to Joaquin (1996).

Constantino (1970), a Rizalist, proved that Jose Rizal did approve of the thought of an armed

revolution through different literary and historical references. For example, the characters in his

novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo depicted their attraction to the thought of

revolution. The case of Elias from Noli Me Tangere and Kabesang Tales from El Filibusterismo,

who were both abused by Spanish authorities, proves that an armed struggle for freedom is

needed. Also, the plots of these novels showed that Rizal believed that the reasons to revolt

against Spain are valid.

Quibuyen (1996) stressed how Rizal’s martyrdom inspired the revolutionary masses of his time,

even up to the extent that Rizal’s name and words became the rallying cry “in times of struggle –

whether in triumph or defeat.” Tejano (2011) believed in Rizal’s revolutionary nature with the

question, “how could the Katipunan have used Rizal if he really were nothing more than a

staunch reformist?”
However, according to Ramirez E. (2014), Rizal “was a reformist – he wanted changes in

politics, education, and religion, and he was a revolutionary also, but a silent one.” If Rizal

indeed was also a revolutionary, how come he did not rally side by side with Bonifacio during

onsets and movements?

According to Joaquin (1996), the lack of everything, from the right timing to the sufficient

weapons, was Rizal’s excuse for not being able to fight for the country’s independence so

openly. He was not against the objective, but the means of obtaining it. When Simoun asked

Padre Florentino as to why God did not support his plans of a revolution, the priest answered it

was because Simoun “chose means that He could not sanction.” (Chapter 39, Rizal as translated

by Derbyshire, 1912)

Rizal is an advocate of both reform and revolution, according to Crisostomo (1999). The

reformist Rizal wanted a Filipino representative in the Spanish Cortes and the freedom of the

press, and disapproved of the friars meddling with education. The revolutionary Rizal, on the

other hand and ironically enough, believed that the Spanish colonizers would not approve nor

listen to the reforms. Therefore, these reforms will be acted upon by force. The only problem

was that the Filipinos were bound to lose in case of an uprising due to inferiority in everything:

in weapons, resources and experiences, and this problem was Rizal’s reason for not joining the

revolution.

Also, through Simoun’s two unsuccessful revolutions in El Filibusterismo, it can be concluded

that Rizal wanted to make it clear to the people that a revolution should not be based on personal

intentions. According to Padre Florentino, however much wise the plan is, if the people involved

are unprepared and do not clearly understand the cause of the uprising, the plan will fail. To
Rizal, a revolution must have a deeper meaning, and the people involved in it should have a

proper understanding of what is going on. Also, the time should be right, the people prepared,

and the arms sufficient.

RECOMMENDATION

The following recommendations are presented to further improve this study for future

researchers.

1. Interviews with professors specializing in Rizal studies and historians are recommended

instead of Grade 9 and Grade 10 Filipino teachers. This may provide a more in-depth

perspective and analysis especially if the researchers were to dwell more on Rizal’s

principles and mindsets.

2. The group also recommends for future researchers to seek help from English teachers

regarding archetypes and parallelisms in literature.

3. The researchers only used six literary works: Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El

Filibusterismo, Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Hugo’s Les Miserables, Dumas’ The Count

of Monte Cristo, and Machiavelli’s The Prince. For future researchers, it is recommended

to use more literary works in finding the revolutionary archetype. An example would be

Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

4. For this study, the books that the researchers used were limited only to those found in St.

Scholastica’s Academy Marikina high school library. It is recommended that books from

other libraries be used as well.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alip, E. (1961) - I Traced Rizal’s Footsteps in Foreign Lands: Alip & Sons

Clucas, S. (1997, July) – Construction as a Curriculum Organizer for Technology

Education, Chapter 5: Blacksburg, Virginia

Constantino, R. (1970) - Dissent and Counter-Consciousness, Quezon City: Malaya

Books, Inc.

Craig, A.(1913) - Lineage, Life, and Labors of Jose Rizal, Philippine Patriot : A Study of

the Growth of Free Ideas in the Trans-Pacific American Territory, Manila: Philippine

Education Company

Crisostomo, I. (1999) – Twilight of a Hero and Other Works on Rizal: New Day

Publishers

De Pedro, J. (2005) – Rizal through a glass darkly: A Spiritual Biography: University of

Asia and the Pacific, Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City

Dumas, A. (1844) – The Count of Monte Cristo Retrieved from

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