Chapter 5: Departure on a Mission

Leonor Rivera and Rizal

● Rizal and his brother had argued which of them should marry with Rizal depicting
marriage as a distraction, but Paciano regards it as an anchor to the Philippines
● Leonor Rivera served as an inspiration to Rizal’s main characters namely Maria Clara
● Although it is one of the most widely known pairings with Rizal, messages between
the two lovers were destroyed leaving people to wonder the nature of their relationship
 ● Rizal would regard Leonor as the woman in his life and led to an engagement of sorts

Rizal’s Indecision
● To achieve reform Rizal would need to go abroad to research further, but with only a
few years of college left and his love for the country as well as his family kept him
grounded
● Rizal at an early age is already seen as a leader and had already formed groups
of like-minded students but he could do no more due to the friar censorship
● Rizal had decided to finish studies in Madrid. Antonio Rivera, Leonor’s father,
had supported this idea along with Paciano
● He was also terrified that he was making a huge mistake and the uncertainties that face
him had discouraged him at the same time motivated him to pursue for greater purpose

Rizal’s Plan of Action

● His departure was kept in utmost secrecy as his mother would never allow him
to venture that far out
● Paciano had provided the money for a first-class trip to Europe and had promised him
a monthly allowance
● Rizal had finished his 4th year in Medicine and returned to Calamba unbeknownst to
his family that he would not be taking his 5th year
● Rizal aimed to study how other nations worked, how they governed and
how international commerce worked
● He also aimed to ally himself with men of power in Spain who were more than willing
to help the Filipino cause of the Philippines being independent from their colonizers
● During Spanish time it was forbidden to speak ill of Spain even with family. Ever
since bringing it up with his brother they had formed their own ideologies and beliefs

Opinions
● Rizal had used his privilege well in that he could have finished his studies in the
Philippines and resort to curing his mother and yet he saw a bigger picture, one
where he could help liberate his fellow countrymen from the rulers
● This was a very mature decision for Rizal indeed and at his young age deciding that
he could do a lot more for his country. This was essentially a mission wherein there
was zero guarantees he would find what he was looking for