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An Archetypal and Post-Colonial Interpretation of Sisa

The entire arc of Sisa’s story is one that has its bittersweet moments eventually
culminating in a literally dark place with a metaphorical glimmer of life. However, for someone
who does not share the perspective that Sisa is the hero of Noli me Tangere, it is unlikely and
even somewagt impossible to craft a claim and defense that Sisa is so; given that Sisa is not the
main character and that the spotlight is mostly shone on Crisostomo Ibarra. The author did not
even bother to give a full name or a surname. Thus, Sisa is an unlikely hero and one that needs
deep reflection in order to at least find a standpoint from which she is. Given that, we have
chosen to critique the idea that is being presented in the person of Sisa and her actions through
the archetypal literary tradition and see if we can use a post-colonialist’s perspective to see if
they are indeed worthy of being deemed heroic.

Lately in Game of Thrones, any confrontations, dealings, and notions of Cersei revolve
around her as being a mother. Here enters the archetype of a mother, who will do everything and
anything she sees fit for the benefit of her children. For Cersei, this is shown through the many
distasteful and dishonorable acts she has done such as the beheading of an honorable man for the
sake of keeping her firstborn on the throne and shielding all her children from disgrace and the
judgement of the people upon learning of the children’s incestuous origin; a somewhat
reasonable course of action. For Sisa, compared to Cersei, Sisa can only do so much, as her
social status bequeaths no power whatsoever and places her in the jurisdiction of unjust powers,
when it comes to saving her children but despite this does what she can although with pitiful
results. Her desire to save her children can be seen in the entirety of chapter 21 of Noli me
Tangere where she is arrested and is best said by a quote from the book: “Gusto niyang iligtas
ang kanyang mga anak, at ang mga ina ay di na nagtatanong kung paano basta’t maligtas ang
lman at dugo ng kanilang dugo”. This drive to look for her sons despite the hopeless situation
that eventually drives her mad is what might constitute one of her heroic virtues.

The mother who is patient with her husband and does not leave him despite his vices, the
loving mother who waits for her children no matter how late, and the mother who cooks
delicious meals in anticipation for her sons, these are all what a traditional Filipino would hold as
an example of a good mother. Yes, it might also be that Sisa is a paragon of an archetypal
Filipino mother, which might also be contributory to her status as a hero.

In the Sisa’s misadventures, she has had come into contact with systems that colonialism
has brought and established on the Philippine Islands; systems which place the poor, like Sisa, in
a difficult place. To quote the a translation of Noli me Tangere: “Tunay na higit na madaling
magtamo ng katarungan mula sa langit kaysa katarungan mula sa kapwa tao . . . lagi rin silang
nagdarasal  hindi ng dasal na Latin na hindi nila nauunawaan, kundi dasal sa sariling wika na
natatanong at dumadaing, kung Siya ay nakikinig din kahit sa mga walang ibabayad”. Not only
the stratification of the rich and poor but also the other more obvious colonial structures such as
the guardia civil and the Church embodied by the friars. It goes to show that the poor and the
lower class are at a disadvantage when it comes a “your word against mine” system of justice
that is shown in the book and it is this machination that implies the murder of the younger son,
Crispin, and the disappearance and escape of the older son, Basilio. It was these colonial
structures that hindered Sisa from what she sought: the safety and welfare of her sons, a
somewhat metaphor for the country’s present state.

The most post-colonial phenomenon that occurs to Sisa is perhaps her partial success in
her struggle against colonial social structures in her fulfillment of her role as a mother. Her
partial success and her eventual death however cast doubts on her status as a hero; after all her
son, Crispin, is still missing at the end and what kind of hero gets deranged in the process of
fulfilling their mission and eventually dying? Well, Sisa did find her moment of clarity at the end
in the recognition of Basilio as her son and that is still arguably a success no matter how partial it
is. Thus, we have Sisa, a hero who lost both her sons and her sanity in her struggle against
colonial social structures to fulfill her motherly role and eventually recovers one of her sons and
her sanity. Then there is also the fact that most sane people think mothers are heroes.
Reference:

Batnag, A., Flores, R., & Romero, D. (1988). Ang Noli Me Tangere ni Jose Rizal: Isang
Interpretasyon. Manila: Rex Bookstore.