ACTIVITY # 1

1) Why did Noli Me Tangere have such a big impression on the narrator?
Could you relate to the narrator’s experience of reading? Why or why not?
- The novel Noli Me Tangere was written by Dr. Jose P. Rizal and this had a big
impression on the narrator because the author portrayed himself as the
protagonist of the story and included the sufferings he has faced from the
hands of the Spaniards. The novel was in detail of the Philippine society during
the colonial period and the acts of the Spanish Catholic priests and the ruling
government. I can relate to the narrator’s experience because this novel is a
representation of what happened during the Spanish Colonial Period and it can
also serve as a wake-up call for us Filipinos.
2) What does the line “art is a reproach to those who receive it” mean?
Should art be a reproach? Should we relate art to society? Explain your point
of view.
The line, “art is a reproach to those who receive it” means that art is
something that is seen as a burden or something that is used as an expression
of disapproval to those who receive it. Art should not be seen as a reproach,
but we should relate it to society. Art comes in different ways but they are all
tools used by artists to express their inner thoughts, ideas, and feelings and it
can even be used as a healing method, the art created by artist will then be
sent to the receivers or the society and the art that is received by this society
will help them feel things, whether it’d be a change in their perception or their
moods.
3) When the narrator says the art of reading was a historic act, what did he
mean? Do you think this is true even today?
“The act of reading was a historic act” means that once you have read
something, it is already within you, it will retain into your mind and you can’t
“unread” it. You carry what you have read and it is irreversible, this is true
even today because people are still reading and most of the time, they end up
remembering it until they get old.
4) They say that the act of reading gives people more empathy and makes
them more critical and reflective, do you think this is true? State a situation.
Yes, reading does give people more empathy and makes them more critical
and reflective. Reading has so much benefits for us and it also helps with our
perception about the world, reading also helps us our cognitive memory and
we also end up learning about psychological matters, this makes us have more
empathy and be able to be critical and reflective. For example, if someone has
read several books of different topics or lessons like politics, human
psychology, philosophy, and the like, it helps them learn more about those
topics and can even help their perspective and their personality development.
5) Why is Noli Me Tangere, a book that was banned in the past, a required
reading in Philippine schools? Why did the catholic church go against making
Noli Me Tangere a requirement?
The novel is now a required reading in Philippine schools because it lets
students have a grasp of what happened during the Spanish days, it is also a
right and law for Philippine schools to teach this subject to the students. It was
banned in the past because the novel contains writings that exposes the real
treatment of the Spaniards against the Filipinos and the other unlawful acts
made by the Catholic priests and the ruling government. The Catholic church
was against making this novel a requirement because of the way they were
being portrayed in the novel, it mostly depicted the cruel wrongdoings of the
priest towards the Filipinos.