LIWORIZ – TASK 13

SECTION: 2CE-G GROUP #: 3

1. Based on the letter of Rizal to the young women of Malolos, what were the characteristics of women during his
time that he did not find acceptable (3 points)

During the time of Rizal, women were servants of the friars and fixtures of the church. Women only had the
knowledge derived from awits, novenas, prayer books and miraculous tales, and the virtue of murmuring prayers
and confessing the same sins over and over again. They were ignorant and oppressed. Women were deprived of
free and proper education, and were told that embroidering, knitting, and taking the carabaos out to pasture suit
them best. People knew the power of women, therefore, the colonizers chained them, weakened their spirit, and
made them blind of their true strength and character, in order to make them slaves, as well as their children.

2. According to Rizal, what are the characteristics of an ideal woman? What should be her role in the family and
society? (3 points)

The characteristics of an ideal woman for Rizal, is a woman who does not bow down to the Spanish Friars
and has hopes for the future. Women who knows and fights for her rights and honor, and defend it from any
types of discrimination. A woman whose eyes are open on the truth or reality that is happening around. A woman
who should not only be love and cherished due to her beauty and values but should be idolized and be proud of
because of her truthfulness, braveness, courage, and strong conviction. A woman who is also open for new ideas
and possibilities she can create. A woman who would be a partner for her husband at all times, in happiness,
problems, and sorrow. A woman who acts and joins her fellow people in fighting for their native land and as well
as for liberty. A woman who will teach and open the eyes and mind of the youth about love, good behavior,
proper values, justice, and love for neighbors and mother land. Withal, an ideal woman is someone who believes
and acts that her future is within her own action.

3. Give 5 women characters in Rizal’s novels, give a brief description of each, and identify whether she falls under
the type Rizal approves or disapproves of. (5 points)

The fictional characterization of womanhood drawn from historical fictions, Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, by José Rizal unveils the significance of women characters through each symbolic portrayal which
conveys the need to demystify the Filipina. Rizal’s letter to the young women of Malolos identifies the qualities he
believes inherent in Filipino woman. Still, Rizal seems to have the same ideas and ideals as the western people
during the late nineteenth century in the characteristics of an ideal woman. The selected five (5) women
characters in Rizal’s novels:

 MARIA CLARA. Maria Clara, through the novel, has been praised for her evident virginal beauty with white
skin, devotion to God, and quiet demeanor. She is kind with social awareness however is repressed due to
being cultured and submissive to her family. In relation to the letter of Rizal to the young women of
Malolos, she seemed to suit the first letters of Rizal saying “… endowed with sweet disposition, beautiful
habits, gentle manners, modesty but withal mingled complete deference and obedience to every word
and request of the so-called fathers...”.Hence, her weakness and despair over a lost love overwhelm her;
enabling powerful and sinister forces to slowly drive her to death. Though, embodying a desired image of
a Filipina during the Colonial Spanish Period, Rizal disapproves of a Filipina who’s submissive, ignorant and
complaisant. Instead of being an active agent in the society, she failed due to lack of firmness on her
character, free mind, and excessive goodness and naivety.

 SISA. She quietly suffered subjugation from her irresponsible husband, sacrificed to put food on the table
and was living only for her sons, Crispin and Basilio. Her passiveness was apparent when she tends to
ignore the abuses of her husband and accepted her faith. She taught her sons to tolerate oppression from
her husband and friars as they served as sacristans at San Diego Parish. Consequently, she indirectly
hindered the plan and suppressed the freedom of her sons to improve their lives. Moreover, Sisa bear
misfortunes through relaying her prayers to compensate on her lack of action and made herself as a silent
victim who was drove to madness and death. She represents words from Rizal’s letter saying, “… a woman
whose only virtue is to murmur prayers… sons would have but sacristans, servants of curate…” Rizal
disapproves of a mother who keeps her children in dark and educates them in self-contempt and moral
annihilation. A good mother should rather educate her child of freedom, awaken and prepare the mind
for every good and desirable idea. As a wife, who’s equal to her husband, should wield power and
authority in the home as she encourage and arouse ideas to her husband.
  DOÑA VICTORINA DE LOS REYES DE ESPEDAÑA. A vain and flighty woman who cares about her image, her
obsession over prestige and admiration, and her frivolity enamored by the trappings of the elite. She
married Don Tiburcio who could maintain her needs and submit total obedience to her as he was
pressured to improve their social standing by lying about his profession. She is a reflection of colonial
mentality as she altered her behavior towards a perception of a superior race. With that being said, few
words from the letter to the young women of Malolos can be derived, “…those who want to fool other…
more arrogant is he who wishes to subject another’s will and dominate men…” Rizal disapproves of such
character as obsession brought rejection to own heritage and sense of inferiority which become
hindrance of growth. As a citizen, one should rise above oppression as all men are born equal, naked, and
without chains. The obsession for “trend” appearance and false origin causes lost identity. A wife never
wields her authority over her husband as they should work hand-in-hand on alleviating misfortunes.

 JULI. She is a quiet and reserved daughter of Kabesang Tales who suffered from abuse and humiliation
working as a servant to pay her family's debt. As pure and innocent, she is nevertheless aware of Padre
Camorra’s reputation as a womanizer yet she was made to feel that she has no other recourse but to ask
his help. After much hesitation, she approaches the friar only to end up getting fatally injured running
from him. She represents the words of Rizal,”…eyes opened and to be lifted from their prostration…it is
no longer the highest wisdom to bow the head to every unjust order…to seek solace in humble tears.”
Rizal approves of the idea of having her eyes opened from the unjust order or Padre Camorra’s so-called
sacrifices. Hence, Juli refuses to be coerced; her death liberates her from oppression and a life in shame.
However, she solely depends on herself as she made the decision. Though, she may have asked Sister Bali
if people who kill himself go to hell she haven’t told anyone what happened and decided for what she
believe was the most reasonable conclusion – death.

 SALOME. She is a modest young lady with a soft and sweet beauty. A dignified woman character with an
intention to honor her depth even in poverty. The spirit of self-reliance is observed the way she lives and
survives on her own. Rizal approves of her character as she is a vivid visualization of his plea for action. As
a leader of an activist group, her life was with sorrows and perils which made her strengthen her heart to
any danger. She is a woman of whom the country can be proud and who inspires respect.

4. Assess women in general at present. Do they possess Rizal’s ideal characteristics of women or do they still
embody the characteristics that he was critical of? (4 points)

Rizal’s ideal characteristics of women are being embodied today as they opposed to the confinement of
themselves to devalued and debilitating reproductive labor—the expenditure of time and energy in providing
nurture and socialization for dependent offspring—the women know their worth as citizens equal to men in
exercising personal autonomy and sympathetic concern for others. Moreover, a women of today wields power on
fighting for honor as they mold their future rather than blindly following the path assigned by other people. They
are not enslaved within themselves or by the society amidst the blend of diversity and homogeneity. Currently,
women take use of their voices towards addressing problems by finding each bigger “selves” while expanding
each tool kit of understanding on creating bigger venue for change. Women, as a mother, become an enabler who
opens the eyes of her child through sensitivity and awareness of the society and a wife who progresses hand-in-
hand with her husband.