Jose Rizal: Ink and Influence
by Sara Mayon del Rosario
When
a man’s character, beliefs, or virtues, whether learned or intuitive, are
challenged, an opportunity to act is presented. Many factors will contribute to
whether or not this man will act. How a man will act and if the conflict
against his character is substantial enough to be considered an “act of
heroism” becomes a decision not only of his head, but that of his heart. José
Rizal was a man whose beliefs, virtues, and nation were challenged to the
extent where, despite the odds, he acted with selfless social responsibility to
protect his nation from the inhumanities and injustices inflicted during the
Spanish rule of the Philippines. His great contributions, activism, and
inspirations prior to, during, and after the Philippine Revolution define
heroism in its most pure and essential form.
Jose Rizal was born in Calamba,
Laguna Province, Philippines, on June 19, 1861. He was born to a family that
found success in the agriculture of the land, specifically the business of
sugar planting. Rizal’s family, especially his mother, Teodora, a woman of
great stature and character, taught Jose the value of education and acquired
skill from a young age. Rizal’s success would be ultimately measured by his
commitment to educating himself and acquiring skills that would set the table
for the powerful reformist and activist he would become.
In 1869, Rizal set out to Binan to
attend school. It became apparent that his intellect and potential far exceeded
most of the other pupils’ and this created animosity and resentfulness toward
the young Rizal. He excelled in his studies and caught on to Latin and the Spanish
language quickly. This impressed his professors. Because of this, he didn’t
make friends as well as expected in Binan and often found himself in fights
with other classmates. No one could recall Rizal ever backing down from a fight.
As the nine year old continued his
studies in Binan, he had the opportunity to accompany his cousin’s
father-in-law, a master painter, in his spare time. Rizal gained more than just
the craft of painting. His mentor was very methodical and regulated in his
daily habits. Rizal was learning the importance of perseverance and commitment
and at the same time, through art, he found beauty and respect for nature and
life.
It
became apparent to Rizal why his mother was adamant about the pursuit of
education as his studies in Binan came to an end. He traveled to Paris and
Madrid and furthered his education receiving a doctorate in medicine and letter.
It was while in Madrid, that Rizal began to develop an even deeper
understanding of human nature, ethics, and natural law. Social conditions existed
in the Philippines after the conquest by Spain, with agriculture, commerce,
communications and the lack of formal education for the Filipinos. Based upon
Rizal’s concepts of moral rightness, his understanding of justice contradicted
Spain’s tyrannical oppressive laws and their disregard for the Filipino’s basic
human rights. Hiding under the cloak of ministry, even the friars and priests
were taking advantage of his people’s ignorance and superstitions of the
Catholic religion. Noli me Tangerene, Rizal’s
first novel, would be his genius exposition of the oppressive state of desperation
his native Filipinos were living in. As expected, his book was banned in the
Philippines.
Social
and political awareness transitions into responsibility when a man possesses
the tools to act or speak out. Political courage can only come into play when
such action, heroism then might imply a deeper application of such principles
and actions. Must a hero act with the intention of practicing these principles
of courage, bravery and nobility or are they intuitively ingrained in an
individual’s soul? One common definition of a hero cites “Greatness of soul…” Ralph
Waldo Emerson states in his Essay VIII: Heroism, “Heroism is [an] obedience to
a secret impulse of an individual’s character.” The common denominator would
arguably be that for one to act heroically, they would do so in a manner that was
essentially instinctual.
Jason Scorza states in his article “The
Ambivalence of Political Courage”, “When thinking in this manner an individual
situates oneself in the complex social problems and controversial public
ethical questions that confront one’s society and tries to discern whether or
not these problems and questions convey upon oneself a person’s responsibility
to act or speak.” A hero acts without a consciousness of any status he may
gain. He does not act for the glory or the fame. He acts because it is against
his nature not to act.
Motivated by the visions of
suffering and brutality toward the Filipino women, children and elderly, Rizal felt
it was his duty to become an activist and reformist; to speak for the people whose
own language, Tagalog, was being stripped of them. Rizal would later remark
that “while a people preserve its languages; it preserves the marks of
liberty.” Pressing for reform through his writings, his pen would inspire his
people and arouse a spirit of nationality throughout the Philippines. His rhetorical
attacks on the Spanish government and the Catholic Church became his “death
warrant”, but still spoke to the hearts of his people.
In
his articles he wrote for the newspaper La
Solidaridad, he defended the Filipino heritage and culture, shed light on
the union of church and state, and exposed the Spanish abuse of power, slavery
and forced military service. El Filibusterismo,
his sequel to Noli, reflected the
enduring sufferings and inhumanities of the native people under Spanish
domination and the abuses of the friars and priests. He verified what his
people had felt for over 300 years; the Filipino culture and heritage were
being eroded away as were their liberties and freedoms of speech, expression,
and religion.
As
the awareness of a corrupt political system spread throughout the land, a
society was forming behind closed doors. Though Rizal believed that reform
could occur without the use of violence, others believed a violent revolution
was inevitable. An attempt to create a
nonviolent reformist society failed with his arrest in 1892 after founding La
Liga Filipina (Philippine League). Rizal’s presence in the Philippines
threatened the survival of the Spanish and the Catholic churches domination
therefore he was exiled for four years to Dapitan, Mindanao, in July 1892.
During his years in exile, Rizal’s
commitment and determination to bringing hope, humanity and self-love never ceased.
He continued writing and practicing medicine with the degrees he had obtained
while in Madrid. Even Dapitan, his exile, would benefit from a school and city
improvements inspired by Rizal in these trialing days. His seclusion from his
homeland and fellow countryman could not prevent the change and progress that
had already been set in motion. A movement was inevitable and unavoidable
despite Spain’s elusive attempts to keep the people of the Philippines ignorant
from the truth.
In 1896, an attack against Spain was
launched by the Katipunan, a nationalist secret society. Spain insisted that
Rizal was the mastermind for this revolution and he was returned to Manila to
stand trial for treason and conspiracy. Though Spain could not find any concrete
affiliation with the Katipunan, Jose Rizal was still found guilty and sentenced
to execution by a firing squad on December 30, 1896. His last influence of ink
was a poem written on the day of his public execution and entitled “Mi Ultimo
Adios” (My Last Farewell). This would be the last of his 35 poems he wrote
during the 35 years of his life.
History
will hold Jose Rizal as a hero. Martyrdom became his legacy. When his beliefs
were challenged, he stood up despite the consequences; not with a sword, nor a
pistol, but with his pen and ink to meet his adversary. In Jose Rizal’s own
words:
“With
the head and the heart, we ought to work always; the arm when the time comes
when physical strength is needed. The principal tool of the heart and the head
is the pen; others the brush; others the chisel. On my part, I prefer the pen.”
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