Manila
November 22, 2009
November 22, 2009
In a letter, addressed to Trinidad Rizal, Rizal fits into the role of “Kuya”. He tells of his adventures in Germany and his impression of German women who are not afraid of men and are more concerned with substance than with appearances. So like any kuya, he encourages Trining to form the habit of studying, so as to adorn herself with substance. He ends the letter asking her to write him back in Spanish. To his family, he is the knowledgeable one. He is the one who has the most stories, or at least the lure of someone well-traveled who could tell stories of the distant lands. Through reading his letter to Trining, it is apparent that he takes on a more gentle tone, a more loving tone. He is the Kuya anyone would want, amazing you with all these stories and trying to teach you the ways of the world. Out of concern that every kuya has, he wants only the best for his sister. This aspect of Rizal is lost beneath the exaltations of his heroism that he was a caring brother to his siblings, and a loving son to his parents.
Shocking to read the bashing that Rizal is capable of. In a letter to his dear friend Blumentritt, he writes of how stupid an article written by Barrantes is. Rizal talks about all the errors and the sheer stupidity of Barrantes up to the point of likening him to animals in the zoo and even saying it is insult enough to be Barrantes. Harsh words to come from Rizal- something very unexpected. It was amusing to see that Rizal was not immune to dealing with all the idiots of the world; and for him, they were annoying too. To Blumentritt, however, he is open and brutally honest. Rizal found in Blumentritt a confidante, where he was not afraid to say whatever he thought and not be judged for having said that. He openly ridicules someone knowing fully, that his friendship with Blumentritt is so sacred that his comments would not come back to bite him in the ass. I believe that he could be himself most with Blumentritt. Their intimate friendship was like the Greek love of arête where they found in each other the perfection needed to complete themselves. Rizal found in Blumentritt another intellectual with whom he could talk about anything under the sun about, and Blumentritt found a source for his studies about the Philippines. The match could not have been more perfect.
In a letter addressed to Plaridel (Marcelo H. del Pilar), Rizal praises him for the pamphlet, La Soberania monacal. He tells Plaridel to shave off his beard to show the world that he is Tagalog, to show the world the accomplishments of an indio, I suspect. In his pride for the article, he says “Rizal can now die. I (Rizal) say with sincerity not regret”.
To reformists, he resembled the Rizal that we have met in high school. He was business like and he was aware of his achievements. However, it should be noted how artfully he critiques Plaridel’s work - “ I note only one defect. The arguments resemble an army of fearless soldiers and heroes all mixed up and jumbled up.” It was not in Rizal’s interest to offend Plaridel; as a more seasoned writer, Rizal was training Plaridel. This is a stark contrast from the letter wherein he ridicules Barrantes. The criticism is phrased so well that one could not be angry instead be appreciative of the comments. We could all learn to phrase criticism this way so as to not offend people.
The last letter found in the volume of miscellaneous letters, is addressed to a Dr. A. B. Meyer. Rizal replies to an inquiry made by his doctor about hashish or Canabis indica and its presence in the Philippines. His tone is quite proper and scholarly, opening the letter with an apology for his delayed reply since he had to consult people and books to answer the question. It is apparent that he exhausted all the means to be able to answer the question. He is thorough and this is why he is an excellent academician. He does not just answer whether hashish is present in the Philippines; he even goes to the extent to say that no word in the dialect resembles hashish. Knowing fully that recommendations carry a lot of weight, he politely asks for an “introduction”. The value of the letter though is not that we see Rizal as an intellectual or as a polite man. We already know that. The letter is priceless because Rizal says “I myself though in 1879, I used hashish, did it for experimental purposes”. It is so amusing and hilarious to see all those words beside each other said by our hero. Even though it was for experimental purposes, reading that our national hero did try hashish brings a smile to my face!
Through the course, I have had the great honor of meeting Jose. Greatness can be equated to be famous enough to use only a part of your name like Rizal, Bonifacio, or more contemporary examples Sharon and Kris. They are all known to be larger than life and sometimes we do take for granted that they can engage in gossip, they can make mistakes, they can be afflicted with broken hearts, and if you prick them, they too will bleed. “In their public actuations and behavior our great men can show their inner selves in a favorable light, but in intimate situations they betray their true character, revealing it in its prosaic naturalness. The characteristics of the personality of Rizal were his honesty, ingenuity, will power, constancy, and above all, his patriotism…” (Alejandrino 2) Rizal’s heroism and humanity are found in the fact that he did ordinary things so extraordinarily.
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Works cited:
Alejandrino, Jose. The Price of Freedom. Manila: M. Colcol and Company, 1949. p 2
Viola, Maximo. Reminiscences and Travels of Jose Rizal. Manila: Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission, 1961. p 324
About the author:
In September-2008, Cristina wrote Dear Jose as her end semester assignment in the class of Sir Ambeth Ocampo, KCR, also Director of the National Historical Commission and author of the book Rizal without his overcoat. Ambeth in this book was trying to portray Rizal to his readers as an ordinary person down on earth, not on a pedestal. Cristina apparently has followed his lead, and now speaks of Rizal as he might appear to this year's college students on an ordinary campus.
Her style is rather brash but not vulgar, and piquante in its criticism of and admiration for Rizal.
Today, when many young people tend to favor Bonifacio as a man of the people, and an insurrecto, Rizal too has his attractions, and that 'lure' of personality, as she says. For all that I have read on Rizal, quite a bit but not everything, I find this essay of Cristina extremely refreshing!
Source: http://www.mnnetherlands.com/categories/articles/195/195_dearjose.php
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