Deanne Atienza Module 4

Sec 122

MODULE 4: Socio-political Works and Writings

THREE REALIZATIONS FROM THE READING

1. I realized that oppression was present in both articles. The articles were about how glad
he was that women were strong enough to stand for themselves, is for women to acquire
an education that is comparable to men. Rizal also highlighted that Filipinos are not
naturally lazy. Because our fellow Filipinos were oppressed during that time, and we all
know that no one would be inspired to work in that kind of situation. It is not the
Filipino's fault that they are seen as lazy in the sight of true indolent, which are the
oppressors who cannot execute their jobs just because of the tropical country’s weather.
Rizal also emphasized how unity is important in times when they need to fight against the
country’s oppressors.

2. I also realized how great a writer our national hero is. Based on the articles that I have
read, Rizal’s work has a lot of meanings and information that can be helpful for people,
as well as our country. I noticed that most of Rizal’s articles were about our oppressors
and his stand on what he thinks is right during the Spanish colonial era. Rizal is truly a
great writer because this is the reason why our country had its freedom from oppressors.
He never failed to impress every reader just like his writings about the indolence of the
Filipinos and letters to the young women of Malolos. Rizal's perspective on the plight of
Filipinos under Spanish rule was sufficiently insightful in both articles. It was stated in
the articles how they are oppressed and looked down upon, as well as how they fight
against them.

3. I learned how Rizal admired young Filipino women during his time. He admired them
not just because of their looks, but also because of the way they lived. According to the
letters to the young women of Malolos, Women were always looked down on because
they were seen as less competent than men. On the other hand, Rizal admired women for
 being responsible, strong, and loving people. There is just one statement in the article that
hit me hard. The part when he stated that if women did not change, they should not be
granted power over their children's education left me speechless. As a child, this phrase
made me sad because I knew how much my mother did just to give me a comfortable life.
Other than that, I am amazed by Rizal’s viewpoint on women. 

EPILOGUE: Assessment on Political and Historical Writings of Rizal focus on “Letter to

the Young Women of Malolos” & “The Indolence of the Filipinos”

MY ASSESSMENT OF POLITICAL & HISTORICAL WRITINGS OF RIZAL

1. What important insights are explained by Rizal in the articles? Explain.

- Let me first have the important insights that I have got from the letters to the young
women of Malolos. It was stated in the letter that women who can only teach their
children to kneel and pray should not expect their children to be anything other than
ignorant or oppressed. Furthermore, they shouldn’t expect a woman who was only taught
novenas, prayers, and Christianity to raise a child who isn’t a sacristan, a curate’s server,
or a cockfighting devotee. The insights above imply how important education is, and it is
also needed by a woman. The woman needs an education comparable to man because we
all know the saying that we first learn everything from our home. This means it is also
important for women to have an education so that their children can learn from them.
Rizal expressed his admiration for Filipino women and his delight in their perseverance
in the face of difficulties. Another insight from the article is that do not believe in
anything just because someone said it. Always reflect and investigate whether it is true.
One example of this is what the priest says in his sermon or homily. One of the reasons
the Church opposed the publication of his novels was because of this. In his letter, he
questioned Christ's command in the form of the priests’ and friar’s commands. I was
enlightened, and it led me to believe that Rizal isn’t entirely wrong; in fact, he has a
point. Only teach your children the true image of God. Obeying what is right is what it
means to have a good heart, not just obeying without knowing whether it is right or
wrong. Next is the Indolence of Filipinos. In his letter, he emphasized that Filipinos are
 motivated in working when they can freely do what they want instead of being oppressed
which makes them indolent. Rizal’s goal is to instill patriotism in every Filipino by
exposing how unjust the government was in the Spanish era. Rizal simply wanted
Filipinos to understand that they are entitled to the human rights that they are deprived of.
Rizal argues that the Filipinos were already active in business activities such as trading
with surrounding countries before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines. This proves
that Filipinos were really hardworking because our industriousness in executing our old
operations with other countries is evidence of us Filipinos being hardworking and
cooperative. 

2. Agree/Disagree: Rizal is the greatest Filipino Propagandist. Why/Why not?

- I agree that Jose Rizal is the greatest Filipino propagandist because most of his works
influence most Filipinos and awaken nationalism in us. To prove that he is the greatest
propagandist, he is also the leader of a propaganda movement that aims for freedom
against our oppressors. Furthermore, as I recall from prior modules, his writings Noli me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo were said to be the triggers for Andres Bonifacio's
revolution, which is the reason for our country's independence. Because Rizal's novels
reawakened their nationalism and patriotism, other heroes of our country sacrifice their
lives to have our freedom. So, because of Rizal’s influence, Filipinos fought against
Spanish oppressors for our country to be free. Lastly, his works spread among other
countries and most people that read them were amazed at how brave Rizal is for writing
the kind of novels that he knew would put him in trouble. Nonetheless, he released it for
the benefit of our country.

3. Prove: Rizal is a scholarly and versatile writer.

- Without a doubt, I believe we can all agree that Jose Rizal, our national hero, is a
scholarly and versatile writer, as all of his writings have had a significant impact not only
on people's lives but also on the country. As Rizal went and studied in different countries,
he learned about various kinds of cultures. From his learnings, he examines the
differences between other countries' cultures, as well as their historical backgrounds, in
order to come up with a possible solution for our country's condition during the Spanish
 era. Another reason to prove that he is a versatile writer is that he is capable of writing
novels in different genres like about his personal life, and his admiration for his country.
Furthermore, I've noticed that most of his writings, regardless of genre, invariably include
underlying messages about what's going on in our country under the hands of
oppressors during his time. It is undeniable that Rizal is really an intelligent person.
Given that he had numerous professions proves that he is also versatile as a person. He
can be a doctor, businessman, inventor, and many other professions. As a Filipino, I am
really proud of Dr. Jose Rizal for being such a talented, intelligent, and versatile hero.

4. Create a compliment or supporting statements to Rizal’s thoughts or ideas in Letter

to the Young Women of Malolos and Indolence of the Filipinos.

5. Find and rank 1 to 3 the causes of slavery and indolence. Explain.