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26. Broadsides
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
Isagani is called into Father Fernández’s cell. Fernández, who respects Isagani for his convictions, confronts him about the broadsides. Though Isagani didn’t write them, he defends whoever did, arguing that the friars’ oppression necessitates the clandestine nature of such criticism. The two continue to debate as equals, each having decided that the other is an exception to the rule: Isagani sees Fernández as sympathetic and principled, unlike other priests, and Fernández sees Isagani as courageous in his convictions, unlike other Filipino students. Fernández asks Isagani what the students want from the priests, and Isagani demands that they live up to their roles as educational and social authorities and encourage Filipinos to learn and develop. Fernández argues that the Filipinos are unwilling or unable to receive the dignified education that Isagani wants, but Isagani counters that if that is the case it is because of Spanish oppression.
Father Fernández summons Isagani less out of sympathy for the accusations made in the broadsides than respect for Isagani, whom he finds uniquely willing to defend his convictions to authority figures. Though Fernández does sympathize with the student movement, he ultimately remains committed to religious control of education in the Philippines. Fernández is both pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised by Isagani’s vociferous defense of the broadsides—while he is pleased by Isagani’s refusal to disavow his principles and willingness to be frank with him, he soon finds himself on the receiving end of the student’s condemnation. Fernández is in a bind, unable to dismiss Isagani’s criticisms of the priests but also unwilling to compromise his own position by accepting them. This forces him to fall back on racist platitudes blaming the Filipinos for their own oppression.
Themes
Fernández struggles to argue against Isagani’s points and puts the blame on the colonial government, in turn pointing to social problems in Spain itself. Isagani retorts by asking why, if Spain is unable to resolve these issues internally, should it control the future of the Philippines? They continue to clash, and Isagani points out that this argument is further proof of the injustice of the colonial system, as it leads even the liberal-minded Fernández to contradict himself in order to defend his position. Fernández, impressed with Isagani’s sense of justice, promises to talk to the other priests, and Isagani leaves to be with his comrades, even if that means being arrested.
Feeling cornered, Fernández suddenly changes tack, blaming the government for the situation. Isagani refuses to accept this argument, rightly pointing out that the government and the church are closely intertwined in the ruling structure of the Philippines. This is but one more example of a perennial blame game, as no one in the colonial authorities is willing to take responsibility for the situation. Fernández’s promise to advocate for Isagani is likely quite genuine, but the priest fails to see how little his own good intentions matter in the face of a deeply unjust—and unreformable—system.
Themes
