How did the various events in Jose Rizal’s life shape him into becoming our national
hero?
Your Answer:
Jose Rizal is the son of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso. He is the seventh child
among the eleven siblings and was born on June 19, 1861 on Calamba, Laguna. His environment
and the people that surrounds him is one of the major influencers of who he had become. One of
these influencers is his mother. She taught Rizal how to pray, read, and to concentrate. It is said
that his intelligence was from his mother’s, and he consider her as his first teacher. She is also
the inspiration of the national hero in taking up medicine because of her cataracts that resulted
for him to major ophthalmology. As per his religious character, it was developed in his home as
the entire family made a habit of praying together. More so, having nine sisters growing up made
him developed courtesy and kindness, more especially to women. While his brother, Paciano,
acts as the second father to our national hero and showered him words of counsel. He also has
his uncles and ancestors who are associated in politics. Moreover, growing up in the scenic
views of his birthplace such as Mount Makiling and Laguna de Bay it contributed a lot in
shaping Dr. Jose Rizal to become who he is, which is a brave hero of our country. In his early
age, he has learned to appreciate the nature in which awaken his artistic and literary talents.
Lastly, travelling in Europe opened his mind on how different the Filipinos are being treated by
the Spaniards. It added fuel to the fire of his patriotism and nationalism knowing the situation of
his comrades. It made him hungry for equal treatment and rights for both Filipinos and
Spaniards.
To sum up all that have been said, these personalities and events molded Jose Rizal to
become our national hero. The characteristics that he built from these people and events became
his ladder to develop nationalism and patriotism. These characteristics taught him how fight
without sacrificing the life of others. To quote one of the most remarkable saying from him, “pen
is more powerful than the sword”. He does not want blood to be everywhere and uses his talent
in writing instead to expose all the wrong doings, maltreatment, and injustice that is happening in
the homeland at that time. He uses his intellect to fight and not his fist to consider all the lives
that will be put at risk if he will let his resentment and rage to come first. I believe that without
these personalities and events, we will not have Jose Rizal as our national hero. They made Jose
Rizal well-equipped as if they knew what future holds for him. With that being said, I believe
that we should also be thankful for them in molding our national hero.
Indeed, Jose Rizal is worthy as our national hero. Putting his life at risk is already an act of
bravery but letting himself die with charged of sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion because he
wanted his fellow and future Filipinos to be treated better and to be liberated is an act of a hero.
He opened our eyes to what is right and just for us. He made us realize that being a Filipino is
not just being a Filipino. We are more than our race and more than their words.