Never Can I forget Rizlife write-ups!
Killing the character of Simoun
by Dominique L. Migraso
The only constant thing in this world is change. We are mostly advised and brought up by our parents, teachers, and our other mentors to always plan for our future. We are also taught to prepare ourselves and make alternative solutions if our plans would fail. As we grow up, we try to accept the negative and positive changes that would occur in our lives.
Change, plans, and acceptance – these three words are the common factors that molded the El Fili character Simoun.
Plans. As a sobresaliente man, Jose Rizal always set and makes sure he accomplishes his plans. He successfully pulled off his purpose for his first novel, Noli Me Tangere. He’s confident though he knew the guardia civil would cuff and shoot him one day in his doorstep. His bravery and confidence was also rooted from the wealth he has, or if not, he can surely count on his family, friends and fellow reformists for moral and financial support when emergency strikes.
But as we say, change is guaranteed to be infinite. Change, either beneficial or destructive, it can fall upon us in times when we least expect it. Rizal might have never dawned on being empty-handed for financial support from family and friends. His family was struck with the Calamba tragedy and incapable of helping him with his finances. Some Filipinos, most especially his friends, avoided connecting themselves to him in fear of arrest. And his love, Leonor Rivera, got married to another man ending their eleven-year relationship.
He was hungry, cold, loveless, miserable and alone. It was too hard for him to accept reality. Though he was away from his country, the worry he has over the problems of the
Rizal reflected his chaotic situation in Simoun. Upon writing the El Fili, he poured his anguish and disappointment. What was it taking too long to free his country? Rizal became impatient. He now wants a quick solution. Rizal finally resorted to ending Simoun’s life in the end. He might have also thought of ending his life too.
I remember one of my favorite characters in the Christian Bible, Job. He once prayed to God that he’d rather die having a strong faith in Him than gradually lose his faith and trust in Him while he lives. Job does not want to wait for that time to happen.
Rizal might have seen himself in Job. He could not stand living the affluent life while seeing his entire fellow Filipinos suffer and die under the hands of the Spaniards. He was also afraid that his faith in God would fade over time.
If prayers and being too obedient won’t help free the
The Noli empowered Filipinos but Rizal was disappointed with them wanting to have a revolution immediately. He sensed that Filipinos are not yet ready and it is not the right time to instigate a revolution against the colonial government. He wanted the Filipinos to see the effect of having a revolution (the violent one) in the El Fili novel. The effect can be seen in the death of their loved ones (like Maria Clara’s suicide) and the death that they will accept - a death with no achievement, a death with no respectable grave.
An Introspect on being a Young Filipino
by Dominique L. Migraso
Is the youth indeed the hope of our motherland's progress and prosperity? Can you see a bright future in the Philippines with today's teenagers who gets early pregnancies, jailed in rehabs, overflowing nightly in bars, and who passed graduation by cheating? These are the cases I see in my fellow young Filipinos. But Jose Rizal saw a different kind of youth in his days.
Defining the term “youth” pertains to humans aged below twenty years old. In the stage of youth, a person is fresh, always jolly, and life seems full of new experiences and things to discover. Ask any human what part of his life does he like to return, he'll surely answer “when I was younger”.
Rizal sees a lot of great opportunities for the Filipino youth. He is aware that most of his fellows are naturally talented and possesses quick creative minds which they are afraid to use. An indio using his knowledge as a tool to contradict the Spanish government will lead to his road to cavalry. However, Rizal advises in his poem “To the Filipino Youth”, for the young Filipinos to come out in their shells and exhibit the greatness they have. He wants the youth to see beyond what their right knowledge and wonderful skills can hugely contribute to the welfare of their country men.
While one is young, a man's mind is like a slate – blank and unstained. Jose Rizal hopes that a young man's innocence and intellect will be influenced with virtues and right knowledge. May the youth fill their minds with high education and use it for the good. He encourages them to help liberate the Philippines using only pen, paintbrush and paper, not with blood-stained swords.
The poem also tells the joy and spontaneity the youth can offer to dispel the sorrows of Filipinos. However, he advises of awareness of the enemies, the Spaniards. Though they might tell them of glory and independence in the future, those words have truly ulterior motives in nature. He hopes in the strength and wise minds of the youth to overcome such temptations.
The youth can spread glory and fame around the world with their greatness. Them alone can he influence reform and inculcate the importance of liberty and virtuous living. This is because the minds of adult Filipinos are already stained with friars' deceiving teachings and adverse Spanish influence. The poem motivates the Filipino youth to shine and be proud to venture in any career they wish to incline. He also advises that they may be unafraid because the Almighty will always be with them in anything they want to venture.
A lot of positive thoughts came to Rizal while writing this poem. Since he is in the time of his youth, he has a lot of time to spare to create change for his motherland.
I am wondering if there are teenagers today with the same aspirations as his. With a lot of influence from the Western and Northern parts of the world, I doubt if Filipino youths still have a sense of nationalistic pride. My views as a youth jives with Rizal's. The essentiality of having good quality education as an armor to trials; bravery in defending one's principles; and trusting and relying on God for all the joys and sorrows of life.
Youths in the year 1800s as compared today demonstrates meekness and people who have talents boiling inside them. Teenagers of today are not that bad. There is a fifty percent chance of success among them. I can still see a lot of Filipinos striving to get themselves be educated well in order to get out of the hard life.
Most of them are motivated with money, high social status and gaining immortality of happiness. The Christian faith among the youths are also decreasing. Although there are some Born-Again practices that attracts their come-back, it only takes less than a year for them to get back in their old ways.
0 comments:
Post a Comment