Le Compte, Marc Juris J.

Reflection Paper

MW 9:00AM-10:30AM Ms. Lopez

Representing ideologies of a reform through non-violence and reform through

revolution, Noli Me Tangere characters through Crisostomo Ibarra represented the
former and Elias the latter. Elias was a fugitive living in San Diego. Enduring one
tragedy after another, he began working to improve society. His life was saved by
Crisostomo Ibarra who was a young student in San Diego.
Ibarra always looked like Rizal in monuments, donning the black coat, while
holding a book and quill; whilst Elias somehow had uncanny similarities to Bonifacio in
statues, the staple white camisa de chino and red pants, carrying a bolo on the right hand
and a flag on the left.
Rizal captured both the ideology of a reform through non-violence and reform
through revolution. Ibarra and Elias shared a scene discussing their views on reform and
revolution, this is not mere representation of Rizal in support of non-violence and
Bonifacio’s revolution. Rather, both Ibarra and Elias are Rizal. We see Rizal quarrelling
with himself as he fought custody of which is the better path towards freedom and his
apathy during the Spanish colonialism.
But by axing off Elias as to Ibarra’s character, I conclude that Rizal’s ideology
was leaning more over to a reform through non-violence. While in Rizal’s “El
Filibusterismo” novel we see an ideology that was more of a reform through revolution.
With Simoun, -originally Ibarra, a character thought to have died at the end of Noli Me
Tangere- who turned to violence and the oppression of his people to move them to
revolt. Simoun failed due to Rizal’s mindset that a poisoned tree cannot produce good
fruit. Rizal demanded a pure heart.
While the words patriotism and nationalism were once considered synonyms,
they have taken on different connotations. Patriotism is defined one’s love for country, a
devotion to a particular place or a particular way of life. Nationalism meanwhile is the
inseparable desire of power, the feeling of oneness just like the EDSA People Power
which united the nation. While both are the feelings of love people feel for their country,
the values upon which those feelings are based are very different.
Dr. Jose Rizal commended for great reforms during Spanish colonialism
which is evident in his devotion for the Philippines. An author of books that
showcased his integrity, and we are still picking up something new from his context
even in the 21st century. A man who believed that the pen is mightier than the
sword, Rizal wanted to unite the country without a shed of blood on his hands.
Through his gifts and the education he attained, he used his novels as a medium to
connect with fellow Filipinos by being informed of the oppression present and
taught that a little apathy won’t hurt the Filipinos. In my honest opinion, Dr. Jose
Rizal had both mindset of a Nationalist and a Patriot because he just wanted the
Philippines to be united and that our culture is nothing to be ashamed of.