Moreno, Mary Mia D.

BSHM 3B

Task Week 3

Read the story of the monkey and the turtle and try to analyze what social issue is being
portrayed in the story. Please state this in an essay of atleast 4 paragraphs (intro, body and
conclusion)

The Monkey and the Turtle was written by Dr. Jose Rizal as the first Philippine fable to
be known. In relation to the Bilaan version, the b’laan tribe, or "bila" (house) and "an" (people),
simply means the people living in the house. The story is about how the turtle outsmarted his
friend the monkey over a banana tree, which affected their friendship. This resulted in conflicts
that caused the death of the monkey’s family. And because of wrath and greed, their friendship
went through plenty of challenges against each other that ended in the deaths of both of them.

As I read and analyze the story of the monkey and the turtle, it shows how their
attitudes reveal a hidden message of the story and also what the author’s message is for the
readers. The story consists of two main characters: the monkey, a strong but greedy character,
and the turtle, a weak but witty character. The story begins when the two characters plan to
make a trap for wild pigs. The monkey put his trap on top of the banana tree, while the turtle
put his trap on the ground. They decided to check their traps after a few days. The monkey
deceived his friend and replaced the caught pig from the turtle’s trap in his trap to show that he
was right. Though the turtle knows that the monkey outsmarted him, he confronts him about it.
It resulted in them challenging each other by throwing arrows, but the turtle was saved by his
shell; on the other hand, it cost the lives of the monkey’s family. When the monkey realizes that
he is the only one alive, he decides to reconcile once more just for him to unfairly treat the
turtle once more by cutting the banana tree in half, then taking the leafy part with fruits with it
while the turtle has the bottom part with roots. The monkey saw how the turtle’s banana tree
bore fruit and ate all of it, leaving no crumbs for the turtle. This is where retaliation happens and
ends the story.

In terms of the social issue, the story depicts social inequality as a struggle between the
powerful and the weak, the wealthy and the poor. The monkey stands for those influential
people from the beginnings of Spanish colonialism. The monkey also stands for the Spanish, who
took advantage of the Filipinos' weakness and used their position of authority. Spaniards used
the Filipinos as slaves, insulted them, and took advantage of them and have no equal rights just
because they were wealthier and powerful than Filipinos. On the other hand, the turtle
represents as the Filipinos, who are weak, abused and controlled by the governance of the
Spaniards. The Turtle serves as a symbol for the Filipinos' kindness and sincere trust. By cutting
the banana tree in the middle and having the less appealing, the turtle makes it possible to
practice equality.
 In conclusion, this story portrays the unequal treatment of the Spaniards to the
Filipinos. It is because during the Spanish colonization, the Spaniards ruled the country, which
resulted in social inequality. Having rights, education and employment are just a few of them.
This fable wants to show that we should not be greedy and unfair because there will come a
time when we will need and ask for help. Learn how to give and share to others and avoid being
deceived people around you just because you are kind and knows how to trust. The key
message is that those who are weak but clever may surpass those who are powerful but foolish.
Use your brain as your strength instead of being intimidated by a powerful person.