CHAPTER III

“THE DINNER”

A REFLECTION PAPER

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

In the Subject GE1804

Rizal’s Life and Works

To be Submitted to

Hizon, Ma. Lourdes

Submitted by

ARCILLA, Ian Christoper Alcantara

Date of Submission: 24, November 2021

 ABSTRACT

Everyone makes their way to the dinner table to find a seat. Padre Damaso and Sibyla offer each

other the head seat at the far end of the table, pretending kindness. Ibarra shares stories of his travels

overseas, revealing that he has visited several countries and has mastered a variety of languages and

cultures. When Ibarra is offered the meatiest section of the tinola, he knows the feast was made in his

honor (A well-known Filipino dish). This enrages Padre Damaso even more, and the padre begins to

mock Ibarra with arrogant and harsh remarks. Ibarra merely maintains his temper. Ibarra rises up to

depart after a time. Kapitan Tiago stops him and tells him that the love of his life, Maria Clara, would be

arriving shortly. Ibarra, on the other hand, departs, promising to return the next day. Padre Damaso's

remarks to Ibarra reveal the Spaniards' disapproval with teaching Filipino youths outside of the country in

order to keep the Filipinos "naive" and in control.

“THE DINNER” of the table, but they do so by deferring to one

another and showering useless praise on one

i. Characters Involved
another in the hopes of winning the position.
Crisostomo Ibarra
They offer the seat to the lieutenant, stating,
Maria Clara
"Lieutenant, here we are in the world, not in the
Padre Damaso
Padre Sibyla church," when they are unable to make a

Don Rafael Ibarra decision. The lieutenant rejects to participate

Kapitan Tiago
because he does not want to become entangled.
Donya Victorina
The meal is brought in at this time, and Father
Tinyente Guevara
Don Tiburcio Sibyla takes the seat, as evidenced by the fact

that he is the one who serves everyone. As a

ii. Chapter Summary result, he serves Father Dámaso a bowl of soup

Father Sibyla and Father Dámaso, the containing the chicken's most unappealing parts.

two friars, duel verbally for the place at the head

 The visitors focus on Ibarra and inquire treated me when I was a youngster," he recalls,

about his education in Europe. He claims that he "and despite the passage of time, it means

has been absent for seven years and that he has nothing to him." I appreciate his reminding me

never heard news from the Philippines of the times when he came to our house and

throughout that period. "I still have no idea how frequently graced my father's table with his

or when my father passed away!" "he declares. presence." Ibarra then declares that he must

The visitors quickly shift the conversation to depart. He lifts his glass and declares, "I offer

something else, finally asking him "what left the you Spain and the Philippines!" before exiting.

biggest effect" on him while he was gone. He "Everyone does what they are told. The

reminds them that "a people's success or lieutenant, on the other hand, drinks but does not

suffering in exact proportion to their freedoms repeat the sentence.

or inhibitions, and, along the same lines, of their

Captain Tiago pulls up beside Ibarra and
predecessors' sacrifice or selfishness." "That's
asks him to stay, stating that his daughter, Mara
it?" says Father Dámaso in response. It doesn't
Clara, would be arriving shortly. He also
appear to be worth it to spend all much money
informs Ibarra that the new priest from San
on such a little detail. That is something that
Diego will be attending the meal, but Ibarra
each schoolboy is aware of."
insists that he must leave, telling Tiago that he

Despite his want to inform Father would return the next day before departing for

Dámaso that he must have already had too much San Diego. In his absence, the dinner attendees

to drink, Ibarra maintains his cool in reaction to discuss Ibarra's controversial encounter with

his impolite statement. Instead, he tells the other Father Dámaso. A foreign young man with

dinner guests that he isn't bothered by the friar's blond hair chastises Filipinos like Ibarra for

words since he has known him for a long time showing an unwillingness to be reprimanded by

and the two enjoy a lighthearted relationship that their priests. Similarly, a class-conscious woman

allows them to say such things. "This is how dad named Doña Victorina criticizes the lieutenant
behind his back for frowning the entire night. He also dismisses education in general, framing

Later that evening, the young blond man writes it as something that's not worth going out of

about the party in his journal: “In the current one's way to obtain. Dámaso attacks Ibarra's

state of things, not allowing [Filipinos] to leave hard work while also disparaging the ways by

the country—or even teaching them to read— which Ibarra has gained the respect of his

would actually be doing them a favor…” community.

INTERPRETATION DURING JUNIOR The young blond's callous notion that

HIGH SCHOOL Filipinos would be better off if they didn't leave

their nation exemplifies the force of isolation

There were a lot of various
and demonstrates the Spanish invaders' profound
interpretations back then as to what this chapter
ignorance and contempt. Ibarra would have no
was truly trying to say. The chapter was believed
idea how to face Father Dámaso if he had never
to be suggesting in my junior high school days
left the Philippines. As a result, it is in the
that belief and religion do not belong to the good
interests of the country's friarocracy to dissuade
or wicked party. As a result, famous
Filipinos from studying overseas. This is also
personalities or individuals with a lot of power
evidence that conquerors reflect their own wants
don't always reveal their actual colors, or, to put
and fears onto the Filipinos. Isolation favors
it another way, persons who appear to be on the
Spanish invaders like him, not Filipinos, as the
holy side might have the most filthy ideas and
blond claims.
behaviors.

REFLECTIONS OF THE ISSUE TO

The first interpretation made was base
MODERN SOCIETY
from how Father Dámaso dismisses Ibarra's

notion that happiness is dependent on Rizal emphasizes colonial oppression

"freedoms," given that, as a powerful Spanish and repression of the Filipino people, notably

friar in a colonized land, he's uninterested in through the friars. Rizal's works were

promoting "a people's prosperity" or "freedom." unmistakably anti-colonial, advocating for

Filipino rights in the Spanish Cortes, or Spanish as how the Friars' command choices were more

legislative. Rizal exposes the friars' predatory powerful than the Governor-judgments,

tendencies and how they used Catholicism to General's social concerns, injustice, and the

make Filipinos complacent. Rizal contends that Philippines as a backward country. The issues in

the friars and the government failed to provide the novel continue to impact our society and our

Filipinos with the education they required to country, and we must study and read Noli Me

advocate for themselves. While the Filipino Tangere. The novel's prominent conflicts, such

elite, including Ibarra, Don Filipo, and others, as corruption, injustice, poverty, and abuse,

fight for their political rights on a local level, continue to be an issue to this day.

indios are fully at the mercy of the Friarocracy.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

In relation to these concerns in today's

modern society, we can clearly distinguish the

government system's unjust activities, as well as

the teachings of Catholicism, which limit the

actions of the people even while defending one's

rights. There may be plans to gain access to free

REFERENCES
education, but Filipinos today are not educated

enough to counteract evil government. Lannamann, Taylor. "Noli Me Tangere Chapter

Furthermore, the most egregious and never-to- 33: Freedom of Thought." LitCharts. LitCharts

be-forgotten misuse of authority in order to LLC, 9 Nov 2017. Web. 23 Nov 2020.

cover up malevolent deeds committed by those Beardsley, Steven, "Revolution, Redemption,

in high positions. Even now, power continues to and Romance: Reading Constructions of
trump truth. Filipino Spanish American Identities and

The novel depicted real-life events in Politics of Knowledge in Rizal’s Noli me

the Philippines during Spanish colonialism, such Tangere and El Filibusterismo alongside
Filipino American Fiction" (2016).

Departmental Honors Projects. 49.