(1) Plot- The relationships and patterns of events

It started in the morning when the professor called the names of the students
and ordered them to recite word for word. It was then followed when Padre Millon
reacted to the actions of the students resulting to misunderstanding and
arguments like Placido and Juanito Pelaez. Placido had already been marked missing,
and when Padre Millon asked him to answer a query, Placido confronts Padre Millon
about the inequality, walks out of the class after the unyielding friar proceeds to
taunt the youth as being indolent and disrespectful. The events were connected
through their action and misfortune. Through this chapter, Rizal wanted to
showcase the education system back then embodied by the characters such as
Padre Millon, Placido, Juanito Pelaez and even their classmates

(2) Characters- the people the author creates

Padre Milllon

Placido Pinente

Juanito Palaez

The Fat Student

 The principal characters in the story revolves around Padre Millon and
Placido Penitente. One of their interactions is when Placido was called to
answer the questions of Padre Millon after yawning and acted sleepy in class.
This interaction somehow resulted to an argument when Padre Millon rudely
apprehended Placido.
 Padre Millon's strength as stated from the reading was in philosophy which
involve "pure speculation, abstraction and induction - when teaching
students, it confuses them because instead of teaching science Padre Millon
teaches the subject through his so-called beliefs.
 Placido Penitente is a typical Filipino who suffers in silence while defending
himself from trouble.
 Juanito Pelaez was the teacher's pet. He was the one who stood up against
Padre Millon’s unfair judgement. Juanito Pelaez is called a fool by Placido
Penitente, and he is compelled to recite instead. Padre Millon later chastises
Placido Penitente for not studying while attempting to mentor Juanito
Pelaez, which makes the class laugh.
  Fat student- the fat student is another character where he was mocked just
because he yawned. He was also the one who started the discussion about
the mirror which led to another heated arguments by the character.
 Their personalities was revealed through their arguments and justification.
Through their expressions, actions, and opinions, it can be shown who the
superior and inferior character is. Although the situation heated up, the
characters stayed the same throughout the story.

(3) Point of view- the perspective of who tells the story.

The narrator is in third person perspective. The third person point of view is the
most neutral and trustworthy since there is no prejudices or interests. Through
the perspective of the narrator, it helped the reader to gain a clearer
understanding of what occurred within the classroom, which would not have been
possible if told from a different viewpoint because it would not be impartial and
would not tell the whole story with all of its truths and complexities.

(4) Tone- the speaker or narrator's attitude, perceived through words such as
bitter, disillusioned or cheerful

I believe the tone is in neutral state. It is neither positive nor negative tone. A
tone that is appropriate to describe and explain the narrative of the whole story.
(5) Imagery- word pictures or details involving the scene

With a classroom having no Physics related decorations present and some

equipment that are just stored in the shelves for the purpose of impressing the
officials rather than the use of the students. The way the narrative was describe
became the eyes of the reader as to the situation during those time. It represents
the crooked educational system.

An image of St. Thomas Aquinas was plastered in the wall. This implicates the
ideals and principles of the institution. The problem before is that philosophy was
known to justify just religion when in fact, it can also justify science, psychology
and other branches of science.

Imageries are important because it makes the subtle details tangible. Just by
looking at it, one can implicate a certain situation. And through this, it bridges the
author’s message towards the readers.

(6) Symbolisms- concrete things representing abstract ideas

The lack of equipment, decorations, and facilities symbolizes the lack of proper
education during that era. Before, education was education-oriented giving only the
elites the access to proper education

Padre Millon symbolizes people with authority, having the power to change the
narrative to their advantage even if it is wrong while Placido symbolizes common
Filipino and independence with his ability to endure cruelty despite being
downgraded.

(7) Setting- the place where the action begins 

 The setting was in a classroom during the Spanish colonization. Having the
setting in a classroom is like bringing a community in a small scale which is in a
four-cornered wall. Various personalities can be found within the classroom
reflecting a how a nation works.

(8)  Theme- central ideas suggested by the work as a whole

It can be inferred that the prevailing themes in the story is how crooked
the education system is. And because of this learning is also in parallel resulting to
Filipinos becoming more lenient about oppression and injustice. This type of system
is still prevalent in today’s condition. Given the limited information, students resort
to memorization whenever they don’t understand a subject. People are spoon-fed
with information not allowing the individual to critically think. If one does not have
the ability to think critically, it reciprocates on how they go through outside the
four-cornered wall. This situation then results to people not being able to stand up
for what is right because in the first place, he/she does not understand the
situation.

People are spoon-fed with information eliminating the human factor where
one needs to be perfect and memorize all the information all at once, even though
the information was limited

II.

According to Rizal, education is a symbol of hope. However, when selective

learning is present along with the crooked system. How can the right education
emerge in the situation? How can we fix the broken system, if the people who
handled it are abusive? I believe that Rizal wanted this article to be an eye opener
about the importance of education. Just like the ideals and principles of Rizal, one
must be able to achieve the utmost value of knowledge and learning in order to
assert reform and make a difference.