Analysing the Power Structure of Rizal’s Characters in his novels

Today’s lecture was a continuation of the previous meeting’s discussion of the power model. The different characters of Rizal’s two novels were deeply scrutinized. First, it was confirmed that it was indeed the Dominican P. Sibyla who served the Franciscan P. Damaso his much-disgusted chicken tinola with only a neck and lots of chayote. This event signified the rivalry existing between the different religious orders in the colonial Philippines. These orders would always fight over key parishes where the municipality is resource-filled and cash-strapped. Being a parish priest during those times was a big business for these orders. Such was the scenario found, not only in Rizal’s Noli and Fili, but also in real-life Philippines. It would come to the surprise of many that there exists a Visitation Order that prohibits religious orders or sometimes called corporations to hold the position of parish-priest in any town in the archipelago. By mandate of this order, only secular priest are allowed to hold this position. A tragic fate met the GomBurZa priests when they tried to uphold this order. Their struggle to raise their complaints for the supposed breach of the corporations was met with much politicization and ultimately ended with their martyrdom. Second, Donya Victorina had always been seen as a very powerful persona in both novels. With her enormous wealth, she was able to bestow upon a handicapped and stuttering Spanish commoner, Don Tiburcio Espadaña, with a medical title. Donya Victorina also commanded considerable administrative power over her beautiful nephew, Paulita Gomez. She was also known to never back down against arguments and, lastly, she was popularly known as a social climber. Third, Donya Consolacion can be considered as the Donya Victorina of the lower-class. Fourth, the power structure of the Philippine society was said to resemble the two decks of the Bapor Tabo. There is only one criterion that determines who travels comfortably in the upper deck and who toils in the discomfort of the lower deck. Spaniards occupy the upper deck whereas the Filipinos and Chinese merchants are in the lower deck. The past Philippine colonial society is reflects the stark racial discrimination against the non-whites. On the upper deck, Don Custodio talked about his ambitious plan of raising more ducks that would make the ilog Pasig deeper and faster. On the other hand, Donya Victorina argued that indios would become more barbaric if this proposal would push through. Simon boldly dared them to maximize the use of the compulsory Polo system to implement the massive undertaking of deepening Pasig River. When challenged with the threat of social unrest among the indios, Simon simply retorted the question, ‘What are you in power for?’ In the meanwhile, the lower deck, though was filled with the marginalized indios and Chinese merchants, still possessed significant negative power for their part. This power was raised with Isagani’s challenge to Simon of how strong water can be when it is made into steam.

Etched in all Rizal’s satirical class analysis of the existing power structure is the implicit imposition of these values: humility, excessive timidness, and ignorance, values which the Catholic Church has consistently preached to its blind faithful. Donya Victorina was negatively labelled as a social climber. In the eyes of the Church, her motives were misdirected and were not in line with their teachings of humility. As a result, her authoritative disposition was inadvertently chastised by much of the religious educational institutions that teach Rizal’s Noli. Isn’t it a desirable trait for Filipino women to be more empowered? Didn’t Rizal create Donya Victorina to illustrate that empowered women in his time were mocked and was often seen as seen as evil? This particular realisation is properly attributed to the revealing work of Professor Fernandez. I do think that with her sharing this without the class, we would have continued our lives still chastising Donya Victorina’s show authority over the Spanish colonizers. (02/17/2011)