The main theme of this chapter is use and be used.
(Reminds me what my barkada said when she saw this person who only approached her for favors:
―Use your friend in a sentence.‖)
Now let’s meet one of the key characters of the El Fili…
In this chapter, we meet Quiroga, a Chinese businessman who wants to open a Chinese consulate in the Philippines and head it as consul.
Although he knows a number of people despise him and talk behind his back, he still invites them to a dinner party above his bazaar in Escolta. Unlike Kapitan Tiago (dinner, Noli Me Tangere), Quiroga smiles at his guests while secretly despising them deep inside.
Hmmm… I wonder why Rizal depicts the Chinese this way? He even mentions that Quiroga keeps his indio of a wife locked in a room much like Chinese women. You can probably guess what’s the main point of keeping a wife, right?
Among those who hate Quiroga’s guts are the columnist G. Gonzales (alias PITILI) who’s mad at the incoming Chinese; a thin, brown-skinned guest who did not receive money from Quiroga; and
someone who was against Quiroga’s jueteng operations… because he was losing in the jueteng game.
So why do these adversaries get together for dinner? Like I said earlier: Use and be used.
Dinner ends, and Simoun arrives.
Businessmen complain about the poor economic environment and hint that Simoun should ask the Kapitan Heneral to do something about it.
Don Timoteo Pelaez complains about corruption in customs (adwana).
Quiroga wanted to get into the good graces of a woman because she had a government official wrapped around her finger. So he offers her three pieces of jewelry to choose from. Unfortunately, she chooses ALL three. So now, Quiroga owes the jeweller Simoun P9,000 which was a princely sum back then.
(I wonder if Rizal rode some time machine and viewed the Philippines of today…)
Why do you suppose Simoun ―lent‖ those three pieces of jewelry to Quiroga? Yep, use and be used.
Now Quiroga owes Simoun.
Instead of asking for the entire sum, Simoun just asks for P7,000. He also asks Quiroga to send money-borrowing soldiers and government officials to him. He further instructs Quiroga to send those owing Quiroga money to Simoun instead.
And lastly, Simoun asks Quiroga to store some rifles in Quiroga’s warehouse.
All that for a 22.2% discount off the P9,000 price tag. Otherwise, Quiroga will have to pay Simoun the entire amount right away. To sweeten the deal, Simoun promises that Quiroga will be allowed to bring in contraband items through customs.
How can Quiroga refuse, right? Yep, use and be used.
Don Custodio talks about a commission sent to India to study the Shoe Program for soldiers. No shoes for indio soldiers. Spanish soldiers may wear shoes.
(I wonder if Rizal, like Simoun, was trying to stoke the feelings of his countrymen with this.)
Ben Zayb and P. Camorra talk about magnetism and magic. Juanito Pelaez speaks about the talking head in the fair/carnival of Mr. Leeds.
Simoun suggests that they all see the talking head of the famous Sphinx to settle once and for all if it truly is the work of the devil, or just a trick with mirrors.
Twelve people leave the house of Quiroga to see the show of Mr. Leeds in the Quiapo fair.
(Simoun is such a master manipulator. He really knows how to set people up. Maybe he should’ve been a Reality TV Host?)
El Fili Chapter 17: The Quiapo Fair
It is the month of January, and twelve people leave the house of Quiroga. They make their way through the Quiapo fair, towards the tent of Mr. Leeds.
The chapter describes the lewd behavior of Padre Camorra, who ogles the young lasses. He gets more excited when he sees the beautiful Paulita Gomez, escorted by the overly jealous Isagani and Doña Victorina.
But there’s more…
The slightly tipsy group visits various stalls in the fair, and they make fun of each other by saying that such-and-such sculpture looks like so-and-so.
Padre Camorra and Ben Zayb talk about a display called ―The Philippine Press‖, but they think the word ―press‖ refers to the flat iron held by a disheveled old woman.
They see a picture of someone who looks like Simoun, and that’s when they notice that he is no longer with the group.
What facet of the Philippines did Rizal feature in this chapter? Rizal focused on sculptors of figurines or images.
What does ―La Prenza Filipina‖ (‖The Philippine Press‖) represent? It represents the state of journalism in the Philippines:
* Old / Old-fashioned
* Blind in one eye / lack of truth in reporting
* Dirty
Even the journalist Ben Zayb did not understand that it was actually an attack on Philippine journalists.
Please take note of the image called ―Abaca Country‖: The Filipinos in the Philippines, a land of abaca, are tied by foreigners using abaca, a natural resource of the country.
Who do you think made that image? Was it an artist in the Quiapo fair, or was it something Rizal created in his own mind, and expressed as a political statement ―hidden‖ in the novel?
Anyway, Simoun is missing because he’s preparing for the next chapter, when the group gets drawn into the mysterious tent of Mr. Leeds.
El Fili Chapter 18: Deceptions
Mr. Leeds meets the group of twelve, and allows them to inspect the tent and equipment used to display the Sphinx. He makes fun of the skeptical Ben Zayb, because Ben Zayb was unable to find the hidden mirrors. Mr. Leeds brings the ashes to life by shouting ―Deremof!‖, which is probably an anagram of the word…
Freedom.
(Rizal is so Pinoy if he indeed made use of this form of wordplay.)
Imuthis, the Sphinx, comes to life and narrates his lifestory. His life is similar to that of Ibarra:
Both studied abroad.
Both got into trouble with the religious orders.
Both had a foe who was a priest, who was in love with their girlfriend.
Both had a girlfriend who was the daughter of a priest.
Both ―died‖ in a lake.
Both their girlfriends were raped in a temple/convent by their enemy priest.
Both returned to their country to seek revenge/justice.
Both returned under a different identity: Imuthis became ―The Sphinx‖ while Ibarra became
―Simoun‖.
Padre Salvi quickly saw the parallelism. He felt alluded to when the sphinx called him a murderer. Perhaps it was Simoun’s voice?
What does Cambyses in the story of the Sphinx symbolize? It represents their failed government. To cover this fact up, both governments went after them.
How was the Sphinx set-up? Simoun is a good friend of Mr. Leeds. In the previous chapter, you’ll note that Simoun was nowhere to be found in the Quiapo fair. He probably slipped away early enough to set-up the tent, so that he can give Padre Salvi the scare of his life.
Imagine, an old enemy of 13 years ago has come to life.
How was the image of the Sphinx produced? The mirrors were hidden in the legs of the table which supported the Sphinx. Perhaps Rizal was already thinking of holograms way back then?
Where did Mr. Leeds go after the show? He went straight to Hong Kong, just in case Padre Salvi decided to do something to Mr. Leeds.
Something tells me things are going to heat up around here…
El Fili Chapter 19: The Fuse
If the revolution is the bomb, then the fuse that will get things started is the rescue of Maria Clara.
Here you will see that Simoun’s primary objective is revenge and the rescue of Maria Clara. The country and the revolution are only secondary interests of Simoun.
This chapter also features the student Placido Penitente. He is the son of Cabesang Andang, an ignorant mother who sent her son to school just so that she can proudly tell others that she has a schooled son.
Now on to the chapter questions…
Why did Placido lose the chance to ever study again? There was only one university at that time: the University of Santo Tomas. Since he got sent away from UST, where else will he go?
Why was the former professor exiled? He wanted to teach well, and thus became the target of the church and government which wanted to keep the indios ignorant.
Why did the arthritic Spaniard join forces with Simoun? He wanted to seek revenge on the frailes who sent him to jail so that they could have his beautiful wife.
Why was the revolution timetable advanced? Simoun found out that Maria Clara was dying. All the preparation and planning went down the drain because Simoun became emotional. How emotional?
Here’s a clue: Simoun likened Maria Clara to the phoenix.
The phoenix is one of a kind, just as Maria Clara is the only woman for Simoun. Told you he was getting emotional. No wonder the revolution went to heck.
Why did Simoun imagine seeing the angry faces of Don Rafael and Elias? Those two were not in favor of Simoun’s methods. Don Rafael always went for doing what’s good for the country; Simoun purposely helped corrupt the very government he was trying to overthrow.
Elias was for revolution, but only if the motivation behind it involved nationalism and justice;
Simoun’s motivation was revenge, dark and syrupy.
Also, Simoun was feverish. He was probably hallucinating.
What accounts for Placido’s sudden change of heart, after his mom spoke with him the following day? He was aware of the coming revolution, and he wanted to quickly send his mother back to the province. That’s why he acted as if he readily agreed with what she said; otherwise, there’ll just be a long discussion and that will keep his mom in the city longer.
El Fili Chapter 20: The Arbitrator
This chapter describes the enigma that is Don Custodio. Imagine, the highly intellectual Don Custodio decided to get advice from G. Pasta (who just confused him with convoluted and
contradicting words) and from the Pepay (who just shook her booty and asked for money). I mean, why did he even bother asking those two, right?
Now on to the other notes plus a handy mindmap of this chapter…
Don Custodio was nicknamed ―Buena Tinta‖ by Ben Zayb, because Don Custodio was believed to be an expert when it comes to writing papers. Actually, that was just his reputation, because in reality Don Custodio is not really that competent.
So, how’d he get such a glowing reputation?
1. He’s a Spaniard who’s close to the powers that be.
2. He was able to impress Ben Zayb, the weak-minded but highly influential journalist. (Not that we’re implying that today’s influential journalists are Ben Zayb-like…)
3. He married a rich mestiza.
4. He’s very industrious, especially when it comes to engaging others in debate.
Why did Don Custodio have a difficult time deciding on the students’ proposal regarding the school?
He was torn between giving the students a chance, and pleasing the Dominicans of UST. How can you serve two masters, right?
What are examples of Don Custodio’s mental innovation or quirkiness, depending on one’s point of view? (I mean, aside from his plan to raise ducks in order to deepen the Pasig River, if you
remember Chapter 1)
1. To avoid accidents, the horse-drawn carriages should have three wheels.
2. Fumigate everything with disinfectants; even the paper used by telegrams.
3. So that the government can save on prison costs, just reform the prisoners.
How does Don Custodio treat the indios? He acts like a father who unwittingly holds his children (the indios) back; who, without quite realizing it, prevents his children from progressing.
Why is he against praising the indios? They might become overconfident, boastful, and rebellious.
And that will create problems for the government and the frailes.
What kind of a person is Don Custodio? He is a dangerously deceptive person, because what he does is different from what he holds in his mind.
El Fili Chapter 21: Manila Characters
The Who’s Who of Manila gathered that evening in the Teatro de Variedades to watch Les Cloches de Corneville (translated as ―The Bells of Corneville‖, where the bells refer to the shape of the female dancers’ loose skirts). Rizal introduces the Spanish character Camarroncocido, so named because his complexion resembles that of steamed shrimp. He is an example of a Spaniard who does not value his nationality.
Here’s additional info about Camarroncocido…
Although Camarroncocido (note the double R) is of royal lineage, he ended up working as a contractual in the Philippines, putting up posters of the upcoming shows of the Teatro.
This is in contrast with another Spaniard, Don Custodio, an ordinary Spanish citizen who took advantage of his nationality in gaining wealth and power in the Philippines.
What did Rizal criticize about Camarroncocido’s behavior? Rizal criticized Camarroncocido’s apathetic nature. He does not care about current or upcoming events (which he himself witnessed) that do not directly concern him, even if those events have an impact on the country or may
potentially harm other people.
How is Manila society divided? The religious group was against the showing of Les Cloches, while those who wanted to watch the show were divided into:
- Those curious about why the show was being banned, and
- Those who wanted to watch so they can know why the show should be banned.
Similar to today, when people start censoring shows they only end up whetting the appetite of the viewers.
Who did Camarroncocido notice milling about in the darkness near the theater? He noticed the followers of Simoun. They told the soldiers that the Capitan Heneral was going to instigate some kind of civil disturbance so that he’ll be able to prolong his hold on power and keep himself from being shipped back to Spain.
They did this so that the soldiers will not repel the forces of Kabesang Tales, because the soldiers will think Tales is just following the orders of the Capitan Heneral.
In addition, the soldiers will end up fighting the religious orders who attempt to counter the attack of Kabesang Tales, because the soldiers will mistakenly believe that the frailes are trying to ruin the plan of the Capitan Heneral.
How did Tadeo manage to enter the theater? Since Basilio wanted to study, he did not join Macaraig. That’s one unused theater ticket which Isagani gave to Tadeo.
El Fili Chapter 22: The Performance
Rizal details what happens inside the theater (Teatro Variedades). The term ―Filipino Time‖ has been used to denigrate Filipinos who are late. Although it was attributed to our forebears, tardiness (as featured in this chapter summary) was the fault of the Spanish Kapitan Heneral. The
performance could not begin unless this guest of honor was in the theater.
Now there’s something that has be to clarified regarding ―Filipino‖ time…
Filipinos are not late. Filipinos are farmers who wake up at the crack of dawn. And if there’s a show at 7pm, you can expect Pinoys to line up and mill about the entrance at least an hour before. That’s why the term ―Filipino time‖ is a misnomer.
This chapter also brings up love and jealousy, and foreshadows the failure of Simoun’s plans. We find Isagani, who is extremely distracted after seeing his love, Paulita, in the company of his rival.
Although he is a major supporter of the proposal for a school, he does not participate in the discussion. It is his great love for Paulita which will foil the Simoun in the later chapters.
The characters of Tadeo and Juanito Pelaez are used to showcase certain personality traits: that of someone who can only criticize things in a theater, and that of a know-it-all who uses a tiny bit of knowledge (e.g., French) to impress Paulita and Dona Victorina.
Ben Zayb is also caricatured as a mindless critic. He knows nothing about the arts, yet he pretends to be competent enough to comment on the performance.
One of the performers, Serpolette (aka ―Lily), is shown interacting with Padre Irene. Apparently the fraile has a history with Lily, perhaps when he was still in Europe. He even had to explain to Lily that he was a holy man now, which probably means he was not dressed up as a fraile?
Why was Pepay smiling even though she relayed the bad news to Macaraig? She did not understand what Don Custodio’s message meant (denial of the proposal for the school).
Who owned the empty balcony seat? Simoun. A woman came in late, and was wondering about that empty space in the high area at the back of the theater.
Why was Sandoval displeased with the performance? He couldn’t understand French. He also felt bad because he thought Juanita could understand it. If only he knew the truth…
Why did Pecson throw a smelly sock to Sandoval? It was a challenge. Sandoval (a Spaniard) earlier promised that if the proposal for the school was blocked, then he would still support and even push through with the project. Apparently, Sandoval hasn’t fulfilled his promise, hence the kachichas attack.
Why were the students unhappy about the ―revised‖ proposal? The school will be run by the
Dominicans at the University of Sto. Tomas, while all the costs will be shouldered by the students. In other words, there will be NO change in the way things are taught in the university.
By the way, why wasn’t Basilio in the theater?
El Fili Chapter 23: The Corpse
This chapter explains why Simoun did not watch the show at the theater, and also depicts a crucial development that changes Simoun's life forever…
He was out attending to business. At seven in the evening, Simoun had left and returned to his home twice, accompanied by various people. Macaraig had seen Simoun a few minutes before 8:00pm near the Sta. Clara convent. Camarroncocido had seen Simoun speaking with students near the theater just before 9:00pm.
Basilio did not watch the show either. He was at studying at home. Simoun visits Basilio and they talk about Kapitan Tiyago. They continue discussing when Simoun realizes it's almost 10:00pm. He berates Basilio for not reading the materials Simoun gave him, and accuses Basilio of not loving his country.
Simoun warns Basilio that within one hour's time (11pm?), the revolution will begin and there will no longer be any classes the following day. There will be no university, only killing in the streets.
Simoun asks Basilio to choose: Death or a Future.
Basilio asks Simoun what he has to do, and when Simoun reveals the plan to rescue Maria Clara, Basilio reveals the unfortunate news that Maria Clara had already died.
Simoun freaks out. When he found out that Maria Clara was dead, it was as if he were also dead.
He runs out of the house. Simoun forgets to give the signal for the revolution to begin.
(What did the Green Goblin say when it comes to fighting Spiderman? First, attack his heart.)
Why did Basilio still take care of the terminally ill Kapitan Tiyago, a patient who was giving Basilio
Why did Basilio still take care of the terminally ill Kapitan Tiyago, a patient who was giving Basilio