Reflection Paper

El Filibusterismo Summary
Set thirteen years after Crisostomo Ibarra, the main character in ‘Noli Me Tangere,’ left the
Philippines, a mysterious jeweler named Simoun returns to the Philippines on board the steamer
Tabo. The all powerful Simoun with his beard and his blue tinted eyeglasses is a friend of the
Spanish government, being an advisor to the Governor General of the Philippines. On the
outside, he is a good friend of Spain, but in his heart, he is planning revenge in opposition to the
Spanish atrocities in the Philippines. This is for the reason that Simoun, who in reality is
Crisostomo Ibarra, is fueled by revenge and his fixation to instigate a revolution against Spain
and to rescue his beloved Maria Clara from the convent.

As the story progresses, Simoun meets characters which he will manipulate to achieve his end.
His true identity is eventually discovered by Basilio while he visits his mother’s grave. Basilio is
now a medical student under the patronage of Capitan Tiago. Simoun shows mercy to Basilio by
sparing his life and by asking the latter to join his planned revolution. Basilio refuses the offer
despite Simoun’s taunts about his family’s misfortunes.

The jeweler also manipulates the band of bandits headed by Kabesang Tales, who also suffers
misfortunes under the friars. Simoun also manipulates the Chinese Quiroga into smuggling
firearms and weapons using his store as a front. Meanwhile, Basilio supports the establishment
of a Spanish language school to help the students read and learn the language to the great
opposition of the Dominican friars. Simoun is now gearing up for the revolution which he
immediately calls to a halt, upon learning of the death of Maria Clara earlier that day.

The rejected students which fought for the establishment of a Spanish academy hold a mock
celebration in a panciteria (noodle cafe) where a friar spy witnesses the event. Several of the
students and Basilio are imprisoned notwithstanding the latter’s absence during the celebration.
Conversely, Juli, Basilio’s girlfriend commits suicide after Padre Camorra tries to rape her.
Basilio is left in prison while many of the students are released. Basilio is subsequently released
with Simoun’s help, and after learning of Juli’s suicide he joins Simoun’s revolution.

Simoun eventually tells Basilio of his plan to exterminate the highest officials of the Philippines
who will be attending the wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez. The explosive is
masqueraded as a beautiful kerosene lamp. Once out of fuel, it will be lighted again and will
eventually explode. During the wedding, Simoun gives the newlyweds the lamp and leaves the
reception early leaving a note. The note is later found out to be signed in the name of Crisostomo
Ibarra.
With a change of heart, Basilio informs his friend Isagani about the plan. Isagani, being a former
boyfriend of Paulita Gomez steals the lamp and throws it into the river. He also escapes by
diving into the river while being pursued by the Guardia Civil. The note is left behind and it is
confirmed by Padre Salvi that it was truly written by Ibarra.

Simoun’s real identity is discovered later on and he is pursued by the Guardia Civil. Being
fatally wounded, he seeks refuge in the house of Padre Florentino, Isagani’s uncle. Simoun
reveals his identity to the priest and has a discussion about the failure of the revolution. Simoun
eventually dies and Padre Florentino throws his treasures into the Pacific Ocean with the hope
that the treasure will surface once the nation truly deserves its independence.

El Filibusterismo shows the maturity of Jose Rizal as a writer. The novel, with its tale of revenge
runs off from Noli Me Tangere’s central theme of love and martyrdom. El Filibusterismo,
although more than a hundred years old still finds application in a society where tyrants and
corruption reign.

Reflection:

Rizal’s work on the second part of his novel was superb, it is full of action, I have observed
vengeance in its story line but what happened was the other way around, though he planned
everything perfectly his vengeance hadn’t pushed through, in relation to the life of Rizal, it
seems similar for he have been persecuted before he have achieved the reform he wanted, it also
portraits the issue about bloodshed that things doesn’t always go the way you want it to be, since
the bloodshed didn’t happened that is why he have to accept the fact that he will die but then still
hopes for his country’s freedom the novel had ended with a tragedy but it tells its readers that
bloodshed is not always the answer and there is always hope, that he is still hoping that his
countrymen will be free once again.

“The Filibusterism” or literally the regime of greed. This was the second novel that Rizal
wrote and dedicated for his country specifically the three martyr friars, namely: Gomez,
Burgos, and Zamora. The three priests were accused by the Spaniards on being a
traitor to the government and were sentenced to death. Also, this novel was the
continuation of the Noli Mi Tangere. But, even though Noli talks about romance and
love, El Filibusterismo talks about the politics and governmental issues in our country. It
targets the Spanish government in indirect way.

This novel tell us how cruel and how purely evil the Spaniards was. Nevertheless, it also
tackles the bravery of the Filipino community. It shows the unimagined bravery of our
countrymen on fighting the greediness and cruelty of the Spaniards.

By reading this poetic novel, you can conclude that the sword is not the only one who
can cut through the steel armor but also words can shatter the pride of anyone in this
world. It cannot result in to a fatal death but the wound it can cause will gradually devour
you. If I’m a Spaniard and I’d read his novel, surely, I’ll lose my mind to anger and
grudge. I am thankful not only for Jose Rizal but also for the people who fight for
freedom in a war of words and thoughts. Even though it is not directly into war, but the
effect was very unburden to the enemy. El Filibusterismo, a novel about the word war
for freedom.

Thirteen years after leaving the Philippines, Crisostomo Ibarra

returns as Simoun, a rich jeweler sporting a beard and blue-tinted
glasses, and a confidant of the Captain-General. Abandoning his
idealism, he becomes a cynical saboteur, seeking revenge
against the Spanish Philippine system responsible for his
misfortunes by plotting a revolution. Simoun insinuates himself
into Manila high society and influences every decision of the
Captain-General to mismanage the country’s affairs so that a
revolution will break out. He cynically sides with the upper
classes, encouraging them to commit abuses against the masses
to encourage the latter to revolt against the oppressive Spanish
colonial regime. This time, he does not attempt to fight the
authorities through legal means, but through violent revolution
using the masses.
Simoun has reasons for instigating a revolution. First is to rescue
María Clara from the convent and second, to get rid of ills and
evils of Philippine society. His true identity is discovered by a
now grown-up Basilio while visiting the grave of his mother, Sisa,
as Simoun was digging near the grave site for his buried
treasures. Simoun spares Basilio’s life and asks him to join in his
planned revolution against the government, egging him on by
bringing up the tragic misfortunes of the latter’s family. Basilio
declines the offer as he still hopes that the country’s condition
will improve. Basilio, at this point, is a graduating student of
medicine at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. After the death of
his mother, Sisa, and the disappearance of his younger brother,
Crispín, Basilio heeded the advice of the dying boatman, Elías,
and traveled to Manila to study. Basilio was adopted by Captain
Tiago after María Clara entered the convent. With Captain Tiago’s
help, Basilio was able to go to Colegio de San Juan de Letrán
where, at first, he is frowned upon by his peers and teachers not
only because of the color of his skin but also because of his
shabby appearance. Captain Tiago’s confessor, Father Irene is
making Captain Tiago’s health worse by giving him opium even
as Basilio tries hard to prevent Captain Tiago from smoking it. He
and other students want to establish a Spanish language
academy so that they can learn to speak and write Spanish
despite the opposition from the Dominican friars of the
Universidad de Santo Tomás.
With the help of a reluctant Father Irene as their mediator and
Don Custodio’s decision, the academy is established; however
they will only serve as caretakers of the school not as the
teachers. Dejected and defeated, they hold a mock celebration at
a pancitería while a spy for the friars witnesses the proceedings.
Simoun, for his part, keeps in close contact with the bandit group
of Kabesang Tales, a former cabeza de barangay who suffered
misfortunes at the hands of the friars. Once a farmer owning a
prosperous sugarcane plantation and a cabeza de barangay
(barangay head), he was forced to give everything to the greedy
and unscrupulous Spanish friars. His son, Tano, who became a
civil guard was captured by bandits; his daughter Hulî had to
work as a maid to get enough ransom money for his freedom; and
his father, Tandang Selo, suffered a stroke and became mute.
Before joining the bandits, Tales took Simoun’s revolver while
Simoun was staying at his house for the night. As payment, Tales
leaves a locket that once belonged to María Clara. To further
strengthen the revolution, Simoun has Quiroga, a Chinese man
hoping to be appointed consul to the Philippines, smuggle
weapons into the country using Quiroga’s bazaar as a front.
Simoun wishes to attack during a stage play with all of his
enemies in attendance. He, however, abruptly aborts the attack
when he learns from Basilio that María Clara had died earlier that
day in the convent. A few days after the mock celebration by the
students, the people are agitated when disturbing posters are
found displayed around the city. The authorities accuse the
students present at the pancitería of agitation and disturbing
peace and have them arrested. Basilio, although not present at
the mock celebration, is also arrested.
Captain Tiago dies after learning of the incident and as stated in
his will—forged by Irene, all his possessions are given to the
Church, leaving nothing for Basilio. Basilio is left in prison as the
other students are released. A high official tries to intervene for
the release of Basilio but the Captain-General, bearing grudges
against the high official, coerces him to tender his resignation.
Julî, Basilio’s girlfriend and the daughter of Kabesang Tales, tries
to ask Father Camorra’s help upon the advice of an elder woman.
Instead of helping Julî, however, the priest tries to rape her as he
has long-hidden desires for Julî. Julî, rather than submit to the
will of the friar, jumps over the balcony to her death. Basilio is
soon released with the help of Simoun. Basilio, now a changed
man, and after hearing about Julî’s suicide, finally joins Simoun’s
revolution. Simoun then tells Basilio his plan at the wedding of
Paulita Gómez and Juanito, Basilio’s hunch-backed classmate.
His plan was to conceal an explosive inside a pomegranate-
styled Kerosene lamp that Simoun will give to the newlyweds as
a gift during the wedding reception. The reception will take place
at the former home of the late Captain Tiago, which was now
filled with explosives planted by Simoun. According to Simoun,
the lamp will stay lighted for only 20 minutes before it flickers; if
someone attempts to turn the wick, it will explode and kill
everyone—important members of civil society and the Church
hierarchy—inside the house. Basilio has a change of heart and
attempts to warn Isagani, his friend and the former boyfriend of
Paulita. Simoun leaves the reception early as planned and leaves
a note behind: “ Mene Thecel Phares. ” —Juan Crisostomo Ibarra
Initially thinking that it was simply a bad joke, Father Salví
recognizes the handwriting and confirms that it was indeed
Ibarra’s.
As people begin to panic, the lamp flickers. Father Irene tries to
turn the wick up when Isagani, due to his undying love for
Paulita, bursts in the room and throws the lamp into the river,
sabotaging Simoun’s plans. He escapes by diving into the river as
guards chase after him. He later regrets his impulsive action
because he had contradicted his own belief that he loved his
nation more than Paulita and that the explosion and revolution
could have fulfilled his ideals for Filipino society. Simoun, now
unmasked as the perpetrator of the attempted arson and failed
revolution, becomes a fugitive. Wounded and exhausted after he
was shot by the pursuing Guardia Civil, he seeks shelter at the
home of Father Florentino, Isagani’s uncle, and comes under the
care of doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña, Doña Victorina’s husband,
who was also hiding at the house. Simoun takes poison in order
for him not to be captured alive. Before he dies, he reveals his
real identity to Florentino while they exchange thoughts about
the failure of his revolution and why God forsook him. Florentino
opines that God did not forsake him and that his plans were not
for the greater good but for personal gain. Simoun, finally
accepting Florentino’s explanation, squeezes his hand and dies.
Florentino then takes Simoun’s remaining jewels and throws
them into the Pacific Ocean with the corals hoping that they
would not be used by the greedy and that when the time came
that it would be used for the greater good, when the nation would
be finally deserving liberty for them, the sea would reveal the
treasures.
The article above is taken from the BlogSpot (2012). This tackles
about the El Filibusterismo of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.
Reflection:
            Dr. Jose P. Rizal wrote El Filibusterismo to show
us how an individual planted anger and develop thirst for
revenge. I know that we all want to do good and we all want to
be a good person who choose what is right over what is wrong.
Being a good person is fulfilling, not totally in the sense of
blessings but in the sense that we know that we did what is good
and our heart just feels over so light.
For me, Dr. Jose P. Rizal wanted to show us to do our best to
never tie up ourselves in doing bad. The El Filibusterismo also
shared that violence is not the answer of the problem that we
encountered in our life. As what I observed, the El Filibusterismo
is dark and brutal with many happenings of killing, sexual abuse
and suicide. We must think of it, we should not lower our self to
that level to cover ourselves with the violence and rage or anger.
ANOTHER SOURCE:

The message of the novel is clear: the present system of governing the
Philippines through corrupt and self-seeking officials, dominated by the friars and
being submissive to their interests in one fashion or another, can only lead to
disaster for Spain. By its nature and operation the system without doubt drives
all intelligent, generous, hard-working, courageous, and loyal citizens, even those
most devoted to Spain, into opposition, crime, and subversion. The government
is subjective, cruel, completely lacking in a sense of justice or of responsibility,
and without interest or trust in the people it governs. The friars are painted in
even harsher colors than in the Noli: they abuse their power to satisfy vile lusts;
to rob men of their lands; to preserve their monopoly of education; always
seeking their own interests rather than those of the country, or even of Spain.

Yet in this harsh picture there are bright spots: the high official who opposes the
governor-general over his subjective proceedings, and who sympathizes with and
defends the Filipino people; and the open-minded Dominican, Father Fernandez,
who favors the petition of the students for a Spanish academy, and is willing to
discuss with the student Isagani on equal terms what the students expect from
the friars.

Rizal sees little hope that Spain will rule on the basis of justice rather than
prestige, and though he must record the rays of hope that still remain, he is
essentially pessimistic.

Along with his warning to Spain, Rizal conveys to his countrymen the action to be
taken if Spain does not heed his warning. If Rizal is ruthless in denouncing
Spanish corruption, greed, exploitation, and injustice, he is no less hard in
condemning Filipino corruption, greed, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, and
cowardice, which share in, or permit Spanish abuses. The Filipina, Doña
Victorina, ashamed of her race; the cowardly, time-serving Filipino lawyer, Señor
Pasta; the brutalized civil guard, cruelest of all of their own countrymen; the
corrupt municipal officials --- to name a few.

Moreover, he criticized weak-willed students who lack self-respect and courage to

fight a dampening system of education; the silliness of Paulita, who chooses the
cowardly but wealthy braggart Pelaez over Isagani whose bravery and patriotism
have gotten him into trouble with the authorities; the superstition and fanaticism
of the women of San Diego.

He proclaims the unstable and presumably irreversible status of Spanish

sovereignty in the Philippines. Yet he never urges revolution. Not only does he
condemn an independence won by immoral means, like Simoun's; he does not
even want immediate independence, which could only mean a new slavery. The
task for the Filipinos is to prepare themselves, to make themselves worthy of
freedom, and then God will grant the means, be it revolution or peaceful
separation from Spain.
Education, decent lives, and willingness to sacrifice for one's convictions, even to
suffer martyrdom - this is the road to freedom that Rizal would have his
countrymen travel.