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21. Typical Manilans
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in El Filibusterismo, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Colonialism and Identity
Violence vs. Nonviolence
Education and Freedom
Hypocrisy and Colonial Oppression
Summary
Analysis
The theater is packed for the performance, which is continually delayed as the captain-general still hasn’t arrived. The crowd becomes increasingly impatient, with fights breaking out between concertgoers. The students sit together in a box facing Pepay, who on Makaraig’s behalf encouraged Don Custodio to support the Spanish-language school. The students are increasingly optimistic, except for Isagani who, to his surprise, sees Paulita Gómez sitting next to Juanito Peláez. Isagani and Paulita had agreed that he would see the operetta first to make sure it wouldn’t scandalize her, and he feels angry and betrayed. The performance begins, interrupting Isagani’s thoughts. The students strain to understand the operetta, focusing mostly on the scandal surrounding it. They spot Father Irene in the crowd cheering for one particular dancer. They are even hushed by Juanito, who is acting particularly pretentious for Doña Victorina. Paulita, for her part, is equally upset with Isagani.
Much like the steamboat at the beginning of the novel, the operetta offers a microcosm of Filipino society, though in this case just of the upper echelons of that society. As is customary, the performance doesn’t begin until the guest of honor—the captain-general—arrives, though he is egregiously late. Isagani feels betrayed seeing Paulita there, failing to realize that she is not the one being courted by his rival, Juanito Peláez—Juanito is interested in her much-older and much-richer aunt. Still, Isagani’s paternalistic attitude toward Paulita reveals a blind spot in his otherwise egalitarian politics. These contradictions are overshadowed, however, by Father Irene’s naked lust for the French dancers, behavior most unbecoming of a prominent priest.
Themes
Juanito, Tadeo, and others continue to show off their knowledge of French culture, often with brazen lies. Poor audience behavior also continues, with shouts and hushed arguments disturbing the performance, though the dancers are unfazed. There is another chaotic rush during intermission to congratulate the dancers, though Ben Zayb declares their acting subpar. The students talk up Spanish literary culture, confident that French cannot compare when it comes to tradition, masterpieces, and poetic force. This conversation is cut short, however, when Makaraig arrives with a note from Don Custodio. Custodio has approved the Spanish-language academy, but only under the control of the Dominicans—the students will have no power over the curriculum but will be deputized to collect fees. Bitterly disappointed, the students plan an ironic celebratory banquet, devising ways to mock and insult both the priests and the colonial government.
The elaborate and for the most part dishonest judgements pronounced upon French culture from the audience reveal not only the sad state of education in the Philippines, but also the small-minded narcissism of a Spanish empire on the decline. Lacking a global perspective, the Spaniards and Filipinos denounce French culture, not realizing that their own culture has fallen hopelessly behind—they aren’t speaking from a place of superiority, but one of unexamined jealousy. Don Custodio’s betrayal of the students is a devious move, insofar as he appears to have given them what they wanted while doing exactly the opposite. That is, by granting them their request but placing the new academy under the control of the priests, Custodio has ensured nothing will meaningfully change in Filipino education. However, the next time the students complain, the government can point to the fact that it granted their request—knowing, of course, that the students cannot directly speak out against the priests.
Themes
