REFLECTION

IN

NOLI ME TANGERE

(CHAPTER 22- Lights and Shadows)

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

ALDRIN DIONESIO PROF. VIVIAN CLORES

INTRODUCTION

For the next three days, the town prepares for the fiesta. María Clara arrives with Aunt Isabel,

and the townspeople notice a profound difference in Father Salví, who seems distracted during

his sermons and becomes thinner. Even more notably, he stays out late at night while visiting

María Clara’s house. As for Ibarra, nobody knows why he’s absent, and some speculate that he

has been imprisoned for having forced Father Salví to his knees on All Saints’ Day. These

suspicions are dispelled, though, when he arrives in front of María Clara’s house in San Diego

and warmly greets Father Salví, who is also on his way to pay the young woman a visit.

In an intimate conversation, Ibarra and María Clara plan an outing with friends the next day.

María Clara pleads with Ibarra to not let Father Salví come, because he’s always watching her

with “sad, sunken eyes” that unnerve her. “He once asked me if I had dreamed about letters from

my mother,” she says. “I think he’s half crazy.” Ibarra says that, because of the town’s customs,

it is impossible to not invite Father Salví. However, he decides the party will be organized

around a boat trip that will leave early in the morning, so that Father Salví will have to decline in

order to fulfill his priestly duties in the first half of the day. This plan works, though Salví is so

disappointed to miss out on spending time with María Clara that he promises to meet up with

them later in the day, after they’ve finished their boating.

Ibarra’s plan to exclude Father Salví from the boat trip without obviously insulting the priest is in

keeping with his ideas about educational reform in San Diego—in both cases, he believes there

are ways to work within the prevailing system to change daily life for the better. What he

underestimates, though, is the intensity of Father Salví’s desire to see María Clara, and his wise

plan doesn’t take into account the fact that the priest will do everything in his power to get what
he wants. On another note, moving forward, it will be important to remember Father Salví’s

question about María Clara’s mother’s letters—once again, Rizal alludes to a subplot without

giving any context.

As Ibarra leaves María Clara’s house that evening, a stranger comes upon him in the street and

tells him he’s been waiting to speak with him. He explains that nobody will help him because

everybody thinks he’s a thief, but he has recently lost both his sons and his wife has gone crazy.

He implores Ibarra to “have pity” on him and his family, and though Ibarra says he doesn’t have

much time, he invites the man to walk with him and tell him what has happened.

"Life in this world may you sometimes feel in light that give you motivation and inspiration to

continue life and we sometimes serves as shadow in life of other people ". And remember that

behind the light shadow will follow.The chapter 22 in titled Lights and Shadows tells what are

the realities happen in life that we encounter off and on. Such personalities of people were be

found in the story ,story that reflects on how people live now a days. But the thing really bother

my mind is that ,why Filipino people posses opposite characteristics that must Filipino have and

do?. We , the Filipino people are known of being hospitable, loving, respectful, religious, kind

and gifted. But why? Why does people became irresponsible of what they do . Even the

characters in the story seem posses opposite personality.

In the first page ,it can be seen that residence of San Diego are preparing for their town fiesta

which they really given importance because it's a one way of showing praises and giving

thankful to God Almighty for giving us a bountiful life. If there is feast ,celebrations, events or

even simple occasions ,each of us are very excited and well prepared to welcome each of our
visitors,friends and family because we are known of being hospitable and we want to give our

respect to everybody . That's Pinoy ! The story simply shows how people live in everyday.

In the story I observed that despite of having a good characteristics of a person we can't avoid to

have a unlovely manner which is very common to everybody. We can't denied that we can't

avoid to become judgmental and making a malicious gossip. We don't know how to give

importance to those people surrounds us despite of many good things they did. We doesn't know

how to value their goodness instead we choose to drag them down and forget their goodness. We

easily judge others either those have a big contribution to our country. To Our priest who have a

big role in community are being involve in the said issue which should not happen. They simply

concluded and easily spread information without knowing the right story and making those

words without reality. We can't avoid those things most significant this days. Things that might

hurt and offense the feeling of others. May we doesn't know that we're talked by others but still

in the end we will find it out. But I believed despite of those problems ,good people with good

heart are still there to help someone. As what happened in the last part of the story Ibbara help

the guy with a pity situation between his wife and child. Ibbara give his help to the guy and I'm

happy because he possessed one characteristic of being a Filipino people. As a comparison ,our

government today is likely the same in the story. The same because some of us has its own

perception in all things. Example given was in the story some of the people fills someone but the

other severe criticism .Some of us were given to become biased because we doesn't know how to

look fair between two persons.

I concluded that Filipino people might something changed but still the spirit of being a hospitable,

loving,respectful, religious and gifted is still there. We don't just forget that our heroes gave their life for

us because they love us and they want us to live comfortable and with pleasant country. We don't forget
to give and serve our nation as long as we can even for those person that needs our help is a big

contribution for our beloved country the Philippines. Let us help one another for the success of

everybody.

Judging by this man’s story, which involves two missing boys and a wife who’s gone crazy, he is Sisa’s

husband. The fact that he asks for Ibarra’s help indicates the power and influence the villagers attribute to

Ibarra—though this popularity may sometimes work in Ibarra’s favor, it’s worth remembering that his

father’s fame and popularity invited trouble, as many detractors emerged when he was imprisoned.