EL FILIBUSTERISMO:

CONTENT AND CONTEXT

Lesson 11
OBJECTIVES:

▪At the end of this section, you should be able to:

▪1. Identify the events leading to the publication of
the El Filibusterismo;
▪2. Discuss the summarized plot of the novel;
▪3. Displays fair judgement in evaluating Rizal as
a novelist.
 EL FILIBUSTERO:
HISTORY AND CONTEXT
▪ After returning to Europe in February 1888, Rizal began composing El
Filibusterismo as a sequel to Noli Me Tangere (Lacson-Locsin, 2004).
▪ As a result, the novel was written while he and his family faced threats and
oppression due to the Noli and Calamba incidents.
▪ While in London in 1888, Rizal continued to work on his manuscript and
made some adjustments.
▪ In Biarritz, France, he finished the novel on March 29, 1891, after three
years.
▪ However, due to financial restrictions, the book was not published until
September of the same year, with the help of his friend Valentin Ventura.
▪ Wenceslao Retana coined the term “filibuster” in 1890, describing it as “the one
who, hungry for the country’s independence, resorts to different extralegal
actions to achieve the goal that he pursues” (Aguilar, 2011).
▪ The Spanish colonial government defined “filibuster” as “someone who fights
for the separation of our overseas provinces” by the end of the nineteenth
century.
▪ With these definitions, one can get a sense of Rizal’s second novel’s storyline.
▪ It’s about subversion.
▪ It depicts the lives of people living under a dictatorship.
▪ It tells the story of every Filipino’s struggle for independence.
▪ El Fili is named after Gomburza, one of the three priests accused of
filibustering in 1872.
▪ In his dedication, Rizal expressed his admiration for the priests who were
victims of “the evil that I am attempting to resist.”
▪ On the other hand, Rizal miscalculated the ages of the three priests and the
date of their execution.
▪ On the early morning of February 17, 1872, the Gomburza were publicly
executed by garrote.
▪ Gomez was 73 years old at the time, Burgos was 35, and Zamora was 37.
▪In her translation of the work, Soledad Lacson-Locsin
described it as follows: “El Fili begins where the Noli
ends off, where love, romance, valor, idealism, and
tragedy convert to hate, bitterness, fury, disillusionment,
and vengeance” (Lacson-Locsin, 2004).
▪El Fili, unlike Noli, is filled with zeal and ideology.
▪El Fili, according to Rizal’s biographers, demonstrated
Rizal’s maturity as a novelist.
SYNOPSIS
I. SIMOUN RETURNS TO THE
PHILIPPINES
A. Who is Simoun?
1. the main character
2. rich jeweler
3. actually he is Crisostomo Ibarra
a. everyone thought he was 13 years ago
b. able to escape and fled to Cuba
c. became wealthy and able to establish connections with
prominent Spanish officials
4. very influential
5. consultant of the governor-general
B. His purpose for his return
1. to extract revenge on Spanish officials
a. by starting a revolution
b. smuggle arms and recruit followers from the
exploited and abused natives
2. to rescue Maria Clara
a. she entered the convent after learning Ibarra died
 II. SIMOUN RECRUITS FOLLOWERS

A. Basilio
1. son of Sisa
2. able to study medicine with the help of Capitan
Tiago
B. Kabesang Tales and his revolutionary group
1. he is a former cabesa de barangay
2. maltreated by the friars
 III. SIMOUN ENCOURAGES
CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION IN THE
GOVERNMENT
A. Through government policies
and methods
B. Purpose: to enrage the people
and provoke them to revolt
IV. SIMOUN ATTEMPTS HIS
FIRST REVOLUTION AND
FAILS
A. Simoun did not give the signal for outbreak of the uprising
1. reason: heard the news of Maria Clara’s death
B. Basilio and other students were arrested
1. reason: allegedly forming a seditious organization
C. Simoun arranged the release of Basilio
D. Basilio became bitter and vengeful
E. Basilio was very grateful to Simoun and offered full support for
the revolution
V. SIMOUN ATTEMPTS HIS
SECOND REVOLUTION AND
FAILS
A. The plan: explode a bomb at the wedding reception of Paulita Gomez and
Juanito Pelaez to signal attack to all government building in Manila
B. Illustrious guests were at the mansion
1. formerly the house of Capitan Tiago
2. Padre Salvi
3. the governor-general
C. Simoun gifts the couple with a kerosene lamp with an explosive
D. The lamp will explode if someone turns the wick after the lamp will
flicker
E. Before leaving the venue, Simoun left a note with a
message: “You will die tonight” signed by C. Ibarra.
F. Basilio told Isagani about the explosive and asked him
to leave
1. his conscience bothered him when he saw all the
people at the venue and Isagani was secretly watching
Paulita celebrating her wedding
2. Isagani was his friend.
G. Padre Salvi confirmed Ibarra’s handwriting.
H. The guests began to panic.
I. The lamp flickers, Padre Irene tried to turn the wick.
J. Isagani runs into the house, grabs the lamp, and throws
the lamp into the river – to save his friend, Paulita.
K. The lamp explodes.
 VI. SIMOUN TAKES
REFUGE
A. In the house of a kind Filipino priest – Padre
Florentino.
B. Guardia civiles learned about he’s
whereabouts.
C. Guardia civiles informed Florentino that
they will arrest Simoun in the evening.
 VII. SIMOUN KILLS
HIMSELF
A. He poisons himself.
B. As the poison takes effect, he confesses to Florentino
his true identity and his plans for revenge.
C. Florentino told Simoun his plans failed because with
the unjust means that were used.
D. Florentino assures Simoun that there is still hope for
freedom in the country.
 VIII. SIMOUN’S JEWELRY
IS THROWN INTO THE SEA
A. Padre Florentino did it.
B. His purpose: they would not be used by
the greedy
C. Florentino prays that at the right time
the treasure would be recovered and
used for a noble purpose.
VIDEO CLIP
▪Watch this animated presentation and
summary of Rizal’s El Filibusterismo
by clicking on this video link:
▪https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f
E39aANHDhE