CHAPTER 16 - BIOGRAPHY AND NATIONAL HISTORY

We've learned in the previous chapters that learning the story of an individual is best
understood within a historical setting which can help you chart the major turning points of
his/her life. Just like Dr. Jose Rizal, as a product of his time, we cannot fully understand him and
his works without looking at the period in which he lived. Such factors are important in the study
of his life and works. In this Final chapter we will focus on the significance of biographical
studies and its impact on national history, specifically in the case of Rizal and Philippine history.

The Philippine history, at the twentieth century noted the publication of the considered
first biographies focusing on the life of the missionaries who worked in the evangelization of the
natives. Filipino biographies can only be found in the accounts of the Spanish priest who
reported on how they defended the spain and the Catholic faith against the Filipino "enemies".

Early colonial filipino biographies, therefore, are native of Filipino fighters who were
seen as "enemies of the state." These references are still used by historians and researchers who
write the biographies of Filipino heroes such as Palaris, Sultan Kudarat, Tamblot, and Dagohoy.
Remember that the goal of studying biography is to "read a society through an individual's story.
In the case of Jose Rizal, the study of his life proved that by reading his narratives, some of the
national experiences can be reflected and identified.

Understanding Rizal means comprehending the context of his time. Rizal's biography, for
example, is not complete without mentioning the Industrial Revolution and the American
Revolution which happened years before he was born. The social impact of these events shaped
the society in which Rizal had lived.