Ill-fated life; The Reign of Greed Chapter 1, Critiqued

Cortado, Ashley Marie, S.

10-Bell

Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo, just like Noli Me Tangere, equally helped the
Filipinos to see the real intentions of the Spaniards towards our country. This fictional
novel became an eye-opener to the Filipinos, with an intention to bring our ancestors
closer towards the truth. With a purpose of to inform and to entertain, this novel
achieved its goal and became one of the major materials that enlighten the Filipinos. In
this piece, we can truly see the way the Spaniards treated and on how they oppressed
us, Filipinos.

Chapter 1 is composed of a group of rich people who is traveling on a

fancy boat to Laguna and planning a project to improve the Pasig River. In the middle
of their conversation, it became a hot argument. Padre Custodio wants to have some
ducks to roam around the river while Simoun wants to build a straight canal that will
connect the lake in Laguna and in Manila. Kabanata 1 only states that there are 2 kinds
of people in this world: the ones who is like Don Custodio, Donya Victorina, Kapitan
Heneral, Padre Salvi, Padre Irene, Ben Zayb, Donya Victorina, at Simoun, who has the
privilege to ride on the top of a “Kubyerta”, a special type of a boat. On the other hand,
the servants, who has one choice, to tag-along with the trading boats. The rich ones
has a special treatment while those who are doing the most labor experiences the
lowest type of treatment.

In conclusion, the chapter has a discrimination between the two social

classes. This says that your social status determines your whole life, you are born poor?
You will always be poor. Above all, this chapter only says that life is like a boat, the
powerful is always at the top. Either which, rich or poor, you have no exemptions with
trials, challenges, and problems. Because you, yourself also makes your own decision
which always has a consequence. The moral that the chapter thought is that we need
to always keep our feet on the ground and humble ourselves. We do not know what is
ahead of us so always be kind and approachable. In addition, recommending this story
is a pleasure, this novel is one of the instruments that let us be free again and by
reading it we can say that it is a way of an appreciation towards our ancestors who
fought for democracy. The best website that anyone can use is Panitikan.com.ph.
References:

2018-2023. Kabanata 1: Sa Ibabaw Ng Kubyerta (Buod). Panitikan.com.ph.

https://www.panitikan.com.ph/kabanata-1-sa-ibabaw-ng-kubyerta-el-filibusterismo-
buod

Mark Andrew Cabil, Jolito Dumadag, Carlo Jose Esperat, Cathleen Joyce Lao, Katherine
Samson, Jamie Teng. Rizal’s Masterpiece El Filibusterismo. Carlojoe5.tripod.com.
https://carlojoe5.tripod.com/elfilibusterismo.html#:~:text=l%20Filibusterismo%20was
%20written%20in,Filipinos%20closer%20to%20the%20truth.

2005. Charles Derbyshire. The Reign of Greed Complete English Version of 'El
Filibusterismo'. gutenberg.org.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/10676/10676-h/10676-h.htm