Berte, Leslie Kate Dianne BFA-PD IV PI 100 MTh (9:00- 10:30 AM)

Noli Me Tangere
Chapter 43: Mga Plano / The Plan

The chapter 43 “Mga Plano” o “The Plans” started off with Father Damaso crying as
Maria was sickly lying on the bed, he held her hands with tenderness while tears sprang into his
eyes, “Maria, my daughter, you mustn’t die!”. The sick girl opened her eyes as he stared at
Father Damaso, in her mind she couldn’t believe that he would show such tender feelings
towards her as he was described as rude and rough exterior. Unable to go on, he left the girl’s
side and went outside to the balcony weeping like a child. When Father Damaso had recovered
Doña Victorina introduced Linares where he stated that he was the godson of his brother-in-law
Carlicos. As they were talking Padre Damaso said that he got a letter several day ago and asked
Linares on what does Carlicos want from him, Linares replied that he believed that it was stated
on the letter. Linares says that he graduated from a university with a law degree and that he went
to the Philippines to find work and to find a wife. Father Dámaso says it will be easy for him to
find Linares a job but ponders for a moment about where he might find Linares a wife. Upon
hearing this, Padre Damaso calls Capitan Tiago. Lucas, meanwhile, approaches Padre Salvi to
ask for help, being the brother of the man who died in the school trenches during the town’s
fiesta. Father Salví takes one step back, saying, “And?” before Lucas explains that Ibarra has
insulted him by neglecting to pay for his brother’s death properly. He asks some advice from the
him but Salvi lunges toward him and tells him to go an get lost. When Captain Tiago, Father
Dámaso, and Linares come to see what the commotion is, Salví tells them that he was only
setting right a beggar. He then sets off for the parish house.
In this chapter I would like to put the emphasis on the social issue on the standard of
masculinity of men. It was stated on the early sentences of the paragraph that when the Padre
Damaso cried for Maria as she lies sickly on the bed, she couldn’t help but think that he couldn’t
believe that behind his rough and rude exterior he has that soft feeling for her. It was not just
Maria who taught this but as well as the people who were present that day. In this chapter we can
see how men are having the masculinity crisis through Padre Damaso’s character, the statements
“Boys don’t cry” or “Real men don’t cry” is one of the toxic masculinity stereotypes that even up
to this day exists. These statements also give a negative impact of stereotypical expectations of
masculinity on boys and men, including the pressure on young boys just to prove their
masculinity to their peers and in our culture. As how I see it, it can be quite devastating for them
when there are made conscious of the emotions they are exhibiting, especially when showing the
ones that are labeled by our society as “weak” or feminine”. As a result, they are usually forced
to put on a mask just to hide their emotions and insecurities from a very young age. They also
experience pain and that expressing or showing these emotions should be made comfortable in
our society.