Chapter 3: Students of the Jesuits

● Process of Rizal’s mental evolution in boyhood- represents an intellectual phenomenon

○ Why? Growth and development of a political thinker out of an environment
at once so strange and so infertile
The Philippine Setting
● GOMBURZA Execution
○ There was no public reaction on any kind whatsoever
○ There was no public opinion; no discussion
● Scene of RIzal’s Youth
○ Set in brilliant sunlight of the tropics
○ But mental climate: semi-darkness, medieval twilight
 ○ “No one could move because no one could see where they were going”
Paciano: Jose’s brother
● Student and friend of Padre Burgos
● Part of Cavite mutiny
● Reproduced his father’s traits but in a more intense form
● More serious in expression compared to Jose
● Less engaging personality
● He could not keep silent- Considered as dangerously outspoken
● Because of GOMBURZA execution and their mother's imprisonment- hardened
resolve to associate himself with positive action to remedy the country's ills
● ELEMENT OF DUTY- Underlying clue to all that followed in their lives

Ateneo Experience
● Ateneo headed by the Jesuits, not the friars
○ Society of Jesus was separated from the evangelization of the philippines
○ Jesuits reputation: intellectual missionary
○ Difference from the friars
■ Well-educated: in touch with modern scientific thought
■ Enthusiastic teachers
■ Young
■ Broader-based education
● Ateneo was located inside Intramuros
○ Grim and gloomy scat of Spanish power
○ At Northwestern strategic point: Pasig RIver, Fort Santiago
○ Within intramuros: Cathedrals, churches, Real Audiencia, principal
administrative offices of government
○ Houses of Spanish notables
○ At Southeast: Luneta, Bagumbayan
○ Intramuros had no commercial activity
● As a Student of Ateneo
○ Lodging
■ Rizal lodged in Binondo (first year)
■ Fellow-lodgers: illegitimate sons of Spanish Priests
■ Lodged inside Intramuros (Second year)
■ Ateneo border (third and fourth year)
○ As a Student
■ Gymnastics
■ Fencing (fourth year)- kept in practice for the rest of his life
■ Read extensively during spare time (history)
■ Had great memory
■ Became more extrovert and more communicating (due to
improved health)
■ Popular and talented
 ■ Made his hair lie down
■ developed a “romantic look”
■ Problems
● He was a child prodigy; had many talents
○ Scholastic work
○ Poetry
○ Painting
○ sculpture
● He could do many things… but what would he do?
■ Rizal’s influence
● The problems later turned into he secrets of Rizal's influence
● What a man can do is crucial to his acceptance by the
other people in society (especially in Asia)
○ Rizal and Poetry (Writing)
■ Backward with the Spanish language when he joined Ateneo
● Rapid progress under Fr. Sanchez’ class
● Francisco de Paula Sanchez
○ 26, dark, gloomy, batlike person
○ “ a model of uprightness, earnestness and love of
the advancement of his pupils” -Rizal
○ Encouraged RIzal to concentrate on writing
■ Rizal’s discerning critics
● Mother - home
● Father Sanchez - college
■ Father Jose Villacruz
● Did not share enthusiasm for cultivating native poetic talent
● Subjects: Philosophy and Sciences
● Told Jose to “give up society of the Muses”
○ Rizal wept but eventually disobeyed
Rizal’s Political Perception
● This was not recognized by his teachers
● Rizal privately reached a conclusion that he must dedicate his life to the service of
his people- Above all, this was for their improvement of their lot under Spaniards
○ FIRST STEP: Go abroad as soon as he was old enough learn about the word
outside
■ Most likely Paciano was not involved in the decision
● Por la Educación Recibe Lustre la Patria
○ Where the form of his ideas and feelings revealed
○ By means of education, the fatherland acquires its glory
○ Education is vital- causes a nation to rise to its most brilliant heights
○ Wherever education is implanted - youth will grow up invigorated and
strong, firmly eradicating error and broadening itself on the strength of noble
ideas
○ Nuestra cara patria
 ■ Our beloved country
■ Ambiguous: could mean “Spain or Philippines”
■ Spain
● Complacent statement regarding the true source of a nation’s
greatness
■ Philippines
SUMMING UP
● Totally different
● Statement to the Filipino People: until the restrictive education
system of the friars is not altered, and the youth of the country
invigorated by real learning (eradication of prevailing
ignorance), they will never improve their position

● Basic Assumption on which Rizal’s life’s work was undertaken

○ Prerequisite to any improvement in the Philippines lay in people
acquiring knowledge
○ Belief: acquisition of knowledge itself would awaken the people to an
awareness of their present depressed state, of which the overwhelming majority
were still unconscious
○ This would create a new situation between Spaniards and Filipinos
rendering internal reform unavoidable
● For Spanish tyranny to be overthrown
○ How could such a force be assembled from among a population unaware that
it lived under tyranny, it was possible to overthrow it and there was an
alternative way of life
○ Introduction of enlightenment: arms may not be necessary
○ One change would lead to another - idea which from now on Rizal pursued
● Before he left Ateneo, he already perceived what he knew to be the most
fundamental problem of the Philippines
○ It is in the soil of ignorance that tyranny thrives
○ As ignorance was eradicated, so would tyranny wither and perish
○ “There are no despots where there are no slaves”

● After Ateneo
○ He had his baccalaureate, five medals, and a record of studies which had never
been surpassed by any student - yet he was filled with desolation
○ Why? - The world which lay before him was the world in which he had chosen
to serve his own people
○ ‘Cruel Presentiment’ - possibly meant that having chosen to serve his people,
his life would be not only short but disastrous.
● From the very first, he seems to have known that he might succeed in it, yet be
himself destroyed.
Opinions:
● Bata pa lang si Rizal, he had the resolve and the will to make a change
● Nakita niya at a young age yung problems ng society
● The biggest problem of our society according to Rizal was that hindi tayo mulat-
we didn’t know na there was a problem and that we could do something about it
● His works represented his political thoughts through writing
● Nakatulong yung marunong siya mag-Spanish
● Malaking factor din na he was mentored by Jesuits nung college kasi iba yung
manner ng pagturo nila compared sa friars (parang different perspective sa mga
bagay-bagay)
● All the things that he did paglaki niya- all the literary work, etc- it is because bata pa
lang siya he had the element of duty already