Pabello, Rhaiza P.

August 30, 2019

Rizal – Section 11 Homework

Paper on Jose P. Rizal

I. Introduction

Dr. Jose P. Rizal has always been an inspiration to me growing up as a child. He has

accomplished a lot at such a young age. He moved people with the novels he wrote with such

passion that it later indirectly ignited the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards when he was

killed. He was radical and far different from his peers who wanted to defeat the Spaniards with

bolos and guns, he, on the other hand, wanted to educate the Filipino instead and ignite their

nationalism which has long been gone through years of oppression. For most of us, he is known as

our national hero. To some, he is the guy on the one-peso coin. Here, I will tell you what he is to

me.

II. Jose Rizal as a Person

Dr. Jose P. Rizal reminds me so much of my favorite founding father of the United States of

America, who is none other than Alexander Hamilton. I learned about Alexander Hamilton upon

watching a bootleg video of the musical Hamilton. The musical itself is unique as it incorporates

rap and hip-hop in telling the story of how a simple immigrant became the first Treasury Secretary

of America in 1789.

Like Rizal, Hamilton is also a face of currency, he is found on the ten-dollar bill. They both

advocated nationalism through their writings. While Hamilton educated people against slavery and

how the British took advantage of America, Rizal exposed to the Filipino people how truly brutal
the Spanish were to us. Hamilton told the people how the Americans are being taxed on relentlessly

by the British monarchy. Rizal, on the other hand, told of the corruption of the Spanish government

and the wrongdoings of the Spanish friars. Their pens were their main weapons against their

oppressors. They were both brilliant and they both opened the eyes of their countrymen of the

injustices and brutalities being done unto them.

Still, they both died at their prime. They both died fighting for what they believed in, thus

forever marking their legacies in this world.

III. Jose Rizal as a Place

To me, Rizal is a theatre. In a theatre, you can express yourself, tell stories of historic events or

even fantasies. You can communicate to your audience through a combination of different

performing arts, like dancing, acting, and singing. I’ve recently watched an opera adaptation of

Rizal’s famous novel, Noli Me Tangere. It was a flabbergasting experience. It’s what I feel every

time I think of Rizal.

A theatre has told so many stories so vividly like Rizal. The one thing that a theatre and Rizal

have in common is that they connect to the people, they resound to their countrymen. For example,

currently there is chaos in Hongkong, I have heard from the news that the protestors have adopted

the song “Do You Hear The People Sing” from the musical Les Miserables as their anthem as they

fight for their rights for freedom against China. Like the example that I’ve given, Rizal indirectly

sparked the Philippine revolution because of his two novels Noli Me Tangere and El

Filibusterismo. He may have died at such a young age, but he lived his life with such passion and

dedication to his countrymen, and he shared that to his fellow countrymen.

IV. Jose Rizal as an Object

Rizal to me is a quill. It was his main weapon. Back in the day, they didn’t have anything fancy

like the pen we have these days, but to a propagandist like Rizal, it was everything. The quill has

been somewhat a symbol of freedom through the years back in the day. Yes, it was through guns

and swords and fighting that people from way back when gained their sovereignty and freedom

back, but without reformers and advocates like Rizal, who by the way opened up our eyes and

educated us about our rights, we wouldn’t be experiencing the freedom we have now.

Rizal believed that the Philippines was not ready then to overthrow the Spaniards, simply

because we lack the manpower and weapons to fight our oppressors. Instead, he sat down, wrote,

using his quill, two literary masterpieces that later awakened and enlightened the Filipinos

regarding the abuse we’ve been experiencing. He may not have supported the revolution, but it

was his life’s works that later on became the foundation of the revolution. It just proved that battles

can also be won with a simple quill.

V. Conclusion

We see Rizal almost everywhere we go. You can see him in the people you meet every day, the

things you see and touch, and the places you’ve been in. I see Rizal in Hamilton, one of the great

founding fathers of America. I see him as a theatre, a place of freedom of expression through the

arts. And I also see him as a quill, a weapon of sheer importance. He is an inspiration to Filipinos

everywhere. His writings and works will continue to touch the lives of many people. And we must

pass the torch to the next generation, to let the fires of their nationalism be lit. Enquoting the words

of Rizal himself: "The youth is the hope of the Fatherland."(Rizal, 1879)

VI. Citation

Rizal, J. (1879). To the Philippine Youth