FANER, LESLEAN M.

BSED SCIENCE IV

LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

(Midterm Exam)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Simoun plans to foment civil disturbance to precipitate the fall of the Spanish colonial
government. What are his reasons? Exactly how does he intend to accomplish this?
What has brought him to this point in his life? Discuss his past and its relevance to the
narrative of El Filibusterismo.

2. When Simoun meets Basilio in the forest, he tells him “There are no despots where there
are no slaves” (p. 58). Discuss what he means in the context of the colonization of the
Philippines.

3. From the various scenes and descriptions of the Spanish friars such as Camorra, Salví,
Sibyla, Irene et al., what can we deduce about their position in the colonial hierarchy?
How do they view the locals or indios? What can we infer about Rizal’s own views on
the friars?

4. In contrast, Father Florentino is a secular priest, an indio, and Rizal’s portrait of him is
very different from that of the Spanish friars. Discuss some of these differences, and
what might have been Rizal’s intent in positing such differences.

5. At the novel’s conclusion, after Simoun’s suicide, Father Florentino throws the jewel
box into the ocean. Why?

6. Not coincidentally, Rizal dedicates the Fili to the memory of Fathers Gómez, Burgos,
and Zamora, Filipino secular priests executed by the state in 1872. Who were these
priests, and why does Rizal dedicate the novel to them?

7. Discuss the scene that transpires at the Kiapo Fair, when the disembodied head at Mr.
Leeds’s stall refers to an injustice, causing fear and trembling in Father Salví. At the
climactic wedding feast at Captain Tiago’s former home, Salví is similarly affected by a
biblical quote that he recognizes to have been written by Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra. What
injustice is Juan Crisóstomo seeking to redress?

8. The visit of a French theatrical troupe is an occasion that brings all of Manila’s society
under one roof. How does the novelist present the scene? Discuss some of the
characters, such as Don Custodio, Ben Zayb, and the dancer Pepay, who are at the
theater. How do the two chapters devoted to it further our understanding of the
 narrative?

9. A group of university students—among them, Isagani, Peláez, and Makaraig—propose

the establishment of an academy to teach Castilian. What are the students’ arguments for
it? Why are the friars so opposed to it?

10. Flyers circulated in relation to this cause the students to be accused of being filibusteros.
What is a filibustero and how does the flyer become an occasion for the charge?

11. Discuss Cabesang Tales’s decline from successful farmer and upright town official to a
vengeful outlaw. Why does he resort to the use of arms? What can we deduce about the
state of land distribution and ownership in the islands during the Spanish colonial
period?

12. How does the tragic end of the beautiful Julí, the fiancée of Basilio, come about? How
does the relationship between her and Basilio reflect that of Juan Crisóstomo and María
Clara?

ANSWERS:

1.Simoun Ibarra's hometown of San Diego was informed about his suicide. Because of
his opposition to and criticism of the Spanish government as well as his leadership of the civil
insurrection as a result of the false information the friars provided to the government, they want
to capture and imprison Simoun (Ibarra). the unfairness, discrimination, and slavery that his
fellow countrymen had to experience. in Elfilibusterismo emerges heap. returned to his native
country in order to wed Maria Clara, but after the events in Noli Me Tangere, no one wants to
marry her. Once Maria Clara enters the world, her future is uncertain. As part of the plan, Ibarra
changed his name to Simoun, a new wealthy jeweler. He is now living in the country and
nobody recognizes him.

2.The most excruciating colonial difficulties were brought about by the Spanish. Like a
mother who has lost her children, they tricked us and took our lives. The impact is tremendous
despite the identical weight. According to the quotation, "There are no despots where there are
no slaves," which means that no one will abuse their position if they haven't turned themselves
into slaves. Persecution, ignorance, torture, and deaths have been the results of 333 years of
Spanish rule. There have been revolutions, but not enough to vanquish evil; instead, because of
the government's fear, unity has been dissolved and life has remained cursed. Similar to the
message of Rizal's novel, the people are made into slaves in their own country, working for the
barbaric and unfair Spaniards. Similar to what he did in Europe, he urges all of his staff
members to write about the future plans of the Spanish government for the Philippines.
However, others tried, only to give up and become discouraged.

3.In compared to the government of the time, friars are powerful. They have such a
strong hold on society because they are the spiritual body; it's as if people respect and fear
them, and their teachings and worldviews have an effect on people's lives. The key lies in the
"belief" of many, which they utilize against Filipinos to forewarn them if they make a mistake
in governance. Although the Filipino priests constantly assist the Spanish priests, they have the
privilege. When a "reduccion," or decentralized institution, is built to preserve power in society,
we have a strategic society. Padre Camorra encouraged the Indians to surrender and pay rather
than studying Spanish since they would dare to argue with us (Chapter 11). Rizal claims to be a
devout and godly man, but the friars' abuse of authority and their teachings on life are far
different from what the Father in heaven desired. Herefuses the two priests' invitation to accept
responsibility and show humility.

4.The only simple, joyful, and humble Filipino priest mentioned in the book is Father
Florentino. When Rizal established his persona, he gave them a wealthy background.
Following that, Father Florentino was kind to Isagani when he adopted him and took care of
him. The final chapter of the book, in which Simoun exposes his real identity and secrets, is
centered on Father Florentino. Similar to the story of Rizal's life and his favorite professor at
the Ateneo who helped him publicize his first novel and believed in his convictions, Father
Florentino's characteristics and attributes set him apart from other priests.

5.Father Florentino took Simoun in and made an effort to nurture him back to health
after he came hurt and with a chest injury. Prior to the man's passing, they had their final
conversations. In the hopes that it would stay there until men needed it, Father Florentino threw
the chest into the water. Similar to many movies, important materials were being tossed away
until a fortunate circumstance occurred. It will be delivered to men who deserve it.

6.Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, three Filipino priests who were
killed in Bagumbayan Field, were memorialized in Rizal's second book. He believed that the
executions of the priests had taken place arbitrarily and unfairly. They are being punished for
acting morally. I'll say, "I have the right to entrust my labor to you as the targets of the evil that
I endeavor to combat." And he reasoned that until God judges another person's life, no one else
can.

7.Ben Zayb and Padre Camorra debated whether the Quiapo Fair's exhibit of a
mummified human head, nicknamed "Sphinx" though it is not a sphinx, by an American named
Mr. Leeds, was merely a matter of "optics" or based on "spiritism." According to Simoun, they
should see the Sphinx. At first, Padre Salvi and Don Custodio are reluctant to go since they
don't want the Indios to see them. Mr. Leeds will provide them with a stunning display,
according to Ben Zayb. Since Mr. Leeds does not want Ben Zayb to find out that he is a fraud
in front of a group of Indios, he is confident that they will be permitted entry for free.The Ibarra
symbol and the words "Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting" were written on a
scroll that was circulated around the gathering. The prophecy that Babylon will be destroyed is
said to have been written at Belshazzar's feast, where it was allegedly written on the wall.
Ibarra was introduced to the captain-general by Don Custodio, who noted that he had passed
away more than ten years earlier. The captain-general and the others in the dining room were
terrified because they thought they would be murdered that evening. Ibarra's telegram, which
was probably penned by either Ibarra or Simoun, had the following intended meaning: You
have been found guilty and given the death penalty.

8.Les Cloches de Corneville is being performed for the first time by Mr. Jouy's French
operetta group. There are no more tickets left by 7:30 p.m., and the crowd is angry. Don
Custodio objected to the performance because he believed it would contain vulgar language in
French. As soon as the show debuted, people started learning French. Ben Zayb was selected to
serve as the story's reviewer and translator. Ben Zayb was anxious since he didn't speak French
and was still traumatized from a prior incident in which he had mispronounced the name of a
tenor with the Italian Opera Company, which led another columnist to call him an idiot.Tadeo
is guiding a visitor around laims to know everyone in the town. Tadeo brings up Pepay, who
says she has stopped dancing because a Catholic senor forbade her. He also compliments Ben
Zayb's writing skills. The two chapters delivered a message about society's diversity of
viewpoints. Some people will want to know the reason the show was banned, while others will
want to watch it to learn the reason.

9.In his discussion with Senor Pasta, Isagani argued that colonial administrations should
be founded on justice or reason, that they should pay attention to their constituents, and that
they should be amenable to criticism. Senor Pasta thinks that because Isagani speaks Spanish,
he shouldn't disturb anyone, but Isagani insists that he is there to speak out for people who are
in worse circumstances. Isagani and Senor Pasta have been debating about who should lead
Colombia. Senor pasta advises Isagini to focus on medicine, but Isagini claims he would feel
humiliated if doing so would just help himself. Not all Colombians have equal prospects,
according to the country's president. Everyone has the right to an education, according to Padre
Fernando, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. But according to Isagani, students have a harder
time adjusting, which is why friars are there to help. The friars opposed the Academy of
Spanish because they believed that it was the duty of the teachers to make sure that the students
were learning.

10.A person who revolts or insurrects against civil authority or an established

government is known as a filibustero or filibusterer. In the case of Isagani, he dismisses Senor
Pasta's arguments in Chapter 15, refutes Padre Camorra's claim that people are lazy because
they don't drink enough water in Chapter 15, and responds to Padre Fernandez's arguments in
Chapter 27. Isagani convinces Padre Fernandez to let him complete his class despite being
incarcerated at the time. The friars and captain-generals were troubled by the disputes and
disagreements because they feared that the pupils may rebel against them.

11.The protagonist of Cabesang Tales is a struggling farmer who prioritizes providing

for his family. But as he becomes affluent, he shows himself to be really foolish. He was
elected cabeza de barangay to represent the community because of his passion and faith in the
system. Cabesang Tales has demonstrated his proficiency in combat with a variety of weapons,
including shotguns, bolo guns, and axes. He becomes known as "Matanglawin" as a terrorist
because of his shooting prowess (Hawkeye). He also enlists bandits to help him attack towns,
and he kills a number of officials throughout Luzon, earning him a feared name. At the time, it
was the friars who were responsible for this who took possesion of the properties.People would
pay them for the land, but they would always just throw it away. Tales of Cabesang.

12.According to rumors, Basilio's mentality was "weakened" while he was incarcerated,

which explains why he accepts Simoun's flawed reasoning rather than challenging it. Basilio
places a great value on glory and, as a result of his ordeal, has a negative opinion of people who
have not experienced what he has. Following in Simoun's footsteps, he has been enraged by his
incarceration and Juli's death, and all he wants right now is retribution.Ibarra and Maria Clara
had a relationship similar to Basilio and Juli's in that Ibarra became resentful and harbored a
grudge after learning of his lover's passing. He writes in Chapter 34, "dictating laws to all those
who passed before him in their splendid coaches."