CHAPTER 15: RIZAL’S
SECOND SOJOURN IN
PARIS AND THE
UNIVERSAL
EXPOSITION OF 1889
 World fair
 100th anniversary of the
storming of Bastille
 the symbol for the beginning
of the French Revolution
 Absolute Monarchy was
overthrown by new
Enlightenment principles of
equality, citizenship and
inalienable rights
 It was founded by:
 Rizal
 to bring together young
Filipinos in the French
capital
 enjoy their sojourn in the
city during the
duration of the
Universal Exposition.
 It will disappear:
 like lightning
(temporary nature)
 proud of the name Indio
 make our Spanish enemies
revise their conception of
the term
 The Indios Bravos (brave
Indians) replaced :
 the ephemeral Kidlat Club.
 Members pledged:
 to excel in intellectual
and physical prowess in
order to win the
admiration of the
foreigners
 sword and the pistol.
 Judo
 Max Havelaar, Dutch Colonial Administrator,
 tries to battle against a corrupt government
system in Java (Indonesia), which was a Dutch
colony
 Cultivation System , which mandated Indonesian
farmers to grow a quota of commercially tradable
crops
 such as tea and coffee, instead of growing
staple foods such as rice.
 tax collection system in which the collecting agents
 were paid by commission.
 resulting in poverty and widespread
starvation
 The novel raised the awareness of Europeans living
in Europe
 wealth that they enjoyed was the result of
suffering in other parts of the world.
 Max Havelaar is "the book that killed colonialism"
 initials of the society’s secret
name:
 Redencion de los Malayos
(Redemption of the the Malays).
 The aim of the secret society:
 “propagation of all useful
knowledge – scientific, artistic,
literary, etc. – in the Phil.”
(patterned after Freemasonry)
 Letter to Blumentritt:
 If it is impossible for me to give
freedom to my country
 at least I should like to give it to
them in other lands (Borneo).
Error: appraising the events of the past in
the light of present standards
Blumentritt on Rizal
abuses of the friars should not be construed
to mean the Catholicism is bad.
Dedicated to the Filipinos
they would know of their glorious past
Filipinos were already civilized
before the advent of Spain
clothes, government, laws, writing, literature,
religion, arts, sciences, and commerce
blasted the historical heresies of the Spanish vs
early Filipinos were savages and were of low
mentality.
 Rizal predicted:
 tragic end of Spain’s
sovereignty in Asia.
 Colonies established
to subserve the policy
and commerce of the
sovereign country
 all eventually
become
independent
 Filipinos had abandoned
their pre-Spanish
industries and worked
less than their ancestors
 people could not enjoy
the fruits of their labor
 it is easier for a poor
man to enter heaven
than for a rich man
 A rich Filipino resident in Paris, Mr.
Mariano Cunanan, from Mexico,
Pampanga
promised to help him raise
P40,000 as initial capital for the
college.
 This project of Rizal to establish a
modern college in Hong Kong
did not materialize
 This satirical pamphlet
under the authorship of
“Dimas Alang” is:
 a witty satire which
ridicules Fr. Font.
 Rizal predicted much ahead
of his times that people
could carry on:
 overseas telephonic
conversations --- 12 years
after the publication of
Rizal’s “Por Telefono.”
CHAPTER 16: IN
BELGIAN
BRUSSELS
 The cost of living in
Paris was very high
 because of the
Universal
Exposition
 The gay social life of
the city:
 hampered his
literary works
 The tagalong
letters k and w
should be used
instead of the
Spanish c and o.
 Salacot =
salakot/ arao =
araw
 Rizal’s letter to del Pilar:
 Coming to Europe to gamble
and to amuse himself ?
 but to work for his liberty and
for the dignity of his race
 We are serving the friars’
scheme
 We in whom the poor people
place their modest hopes.
 The gambling Filipinos in
Madrid:
 were angry :Rizal’s moralizing
 “Papa” (Pope) instead of
“Pepe”
 The management of the
Dominican Hacienda:
 continually raised the land rents
 The Dominican Order filed a suit in
court :
 to dispossess the Rizal family of
their lands in Calamba.
 Jose’s letter to Soledad
 I have caused much harm to our
family
 raises us up and gives us more
dignity in the eyes of our
enemies
 to fall with the head high
 sad thing is to fall with the stain of
dishonor
 Letter to del Pilar:
 In my childhood I
had a strange belief
that I would not
reach 30 years of
age.
 I am preparing
myself for death.
 Laong Laan (Ever
Ready) is my true
name.
 He could not stay in
Brussels writing a
book:
 while his family are
persecuted
 I want to go back to the
Philippines
 We are not making
any progress by
following prudence
 Something happened that
suddenly made him change his
plan.
 letter from Paciano
 lost the case against the
Dominicans in Manila
 but they appealed it to the
Supreme Court in Spain
 A lawyer was needed to
handle it in Madrid
 Rizal wrote to del Pilar:
 retaining the latter’s services as
lawyer.
 niece of his
landladies
 brought some
measure of cheer to
the despondent
Rizal, as he was
preparing for his
trip to Madrid
CHAPTER 17:
MISFORTUNES IN
MADRID
Associacion Hispano-Filipina
securing justice for the oppressed Calamba tenants
Liberal Spanish Newspapers
injustices committed by Gov.- Gen.Weyler & the
Dominicans
Minister of Colonies (Señor
Fabie)
Nothing came out of Rizal’s interview with Minister Fabie
El Resumen (Spanish Newspaper)
Ejectment order by the Dominicans
aid of the liberal Spanish statesmen
Blumentritt urged Jose to see Queen
Regent Maria Cristina
Sympathized with the Filipino cause
parents had been forcibly ejected from their
home
statesmen merely gave him honeyed words
of sympathy and nothing else
doesn’t have powerful friends to bring him
to her nor gold to grease the palms of
authorities
 The duel was based on
a code of honour.
 Duels were fought not
so much to kill the
opponent as to gain
"satisfaction,"
 to restore one's honour
by demonstrating a:
 willingness to risk
one's life for it
 Luna was blaming Rizal
for his failure to win
her
 Because of jealousy
and the effects of
alcohol, Luna uttered
certain unsavory
remarks about
Nellie
 Angered by the
slanderous remarks:
 Jose challenged Luna
to a duel.
 Wenceslao Retana:
 Used to attack the Filipinos,
including Rizal in various
newspapers in Madrid
 He wrote that the family and
friends of Rizal had not paid their
rents so that they were ejected
from their lands
 Rizal was insulted and challenged
him to a duel
 Retana apologized in the
newspapers for he believed that
discretion is better part of valor
 Because of the incident, Retana
developed a deep admiration for
Jose
 Retana wrote Jose’s biography and
martyrdom
 One night he and
some friends attended
a play at Teatro Apolo
 The loss of the
locket proved to be
a bad omen
 Rizal received a letter
from Leonor,
announcing:
 her coming marriage
to an Englishman
 Jose’s idealism:
 was not shared by others who loved
wine, women, and cards
 They resented Jose’s interference in
their private lives
 Filipinos decided that a leader called
“Responsable” be voted
 to direct the affairs of the Filipino
community and to determine the
editorial policy of the La
Solidaridad
 Del Pilar opposed the proposition
 periodical be placed under the
control of the Responsable on the
ground that it was a private
enterprise
 The Filipinos were divided
into two hostile camps:
 the Rizalistas and the
Pilaristas
 Jose obtained the
necessary 2/3 vote and
 became the
Responsable
 But Jose graciously declined
the coveted position
 than be the cause of
disunity and bitterness
among his countrymen
CHAPTER 18:
BIARRITZ VACATION
AND ROMANCE
WITH NELLY
BOUSTEAD
 Jose proposed marriage to
Nellie (rebound love from
Leonor)
 Rizal’s marriage proposal
failed for two reasons:
 He refused to give up
his catholic faith and
be converted to
Protestantism, as Nelly
demanded
 Nelly’s mother did not
like Rizal as son-in-law
 Simultaneous with his retirement from
the Propaganda Movement
 Rizal ceased writing articles for La
Solidaridad
 Del Pilar himself realized:
 the need for Rizal’s collaboration in
both the Propaganda Movement and in the
La Solidaridad newspaper
 Jose’s reply to del Pilar:
 Rizal denied any resentment
 He considered it very important to the
party that there be unity in the work
 More time to work on his novel
(completed in Biarritz)
 He wanted other Filipinos to work
also