NIKO DOMINIC T.

UY DATE: OCTOBER 26, 2023

BSA 3-A LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

In your opinion, which part of Jose Rizal's life heavily influenced him the most?

In the span of Jose Rizal’s life, he encountered a plethora of experiences and eventful
sights—both good ones and bad ones. And before he was considered as the national hero, he lived
across different phases, in which I believe that it was his childhood and early education that heavily
influenced him the most in becoming the figure that he is: a filibuster to some back then but a hero to
many now.

In spite of the growth we exhibit as individuals, parts of us will always be a reflection of our
upbringing and Rizal is no exception. Fortunately for him, his childhood is filled with parental
affection, reliable connections and credible institutions. He appeared to be exceptional at a young
age where his train-of-thoughts were influenced by so many creative inputs through stories like
legends and folklore often told by his Nanny. He also witnessed the evident maltreatments
experienced by his fellow countrymen during the Spanish colonial era. In the latter years of his life,
his childhood take-aways helped him develop his writing skills to the extent where it became his
vessel of fighting against the Filipino oppressors. And the discrimination he saw before became his
conviction to aid and love his country towards its freedom and liberalism. Lastly, his studies made
him multifaceted which improved not only his mind but also his body to cater the imperative needs of
his country and the ways that it met his needs.

In a nutshell, the context around him at an early age is undeniably the pillar of his wisdom
and character, and his learning during that phase essentially paved the way for him to realize his
purpose and his love for the Philippines by the prowess and influence of his pen and paper.