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Captain Tiago
The captain-general is the Spanish colonial commander of the Philippines. Previously stationed in Cuba, the captain-general grew close with Simoun, who is now his most trusted advisor. The captain-general is a capricious and arbitrary leader who does not bother to hide his disinterest in most of the matters of state under his authority. Though he departs the Philippines in disgrace, having failed to uncover Simoun’s massive conspiracy, he wields state censorship effectively to protect his reputation in the colony even as he is sent back to Spain.
The Captain-General Quotes in El Filibusterismo
The El Filibusterismo quotes below are all either spoken by The Captain-General or refer to The Captain-General. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
11. Los Baños
Quotes
“The Tianí schoolmaster,” the secretary went on, as he riffled through his papers, “is looking for a better building—”
“What better building can he have than that warehouse that he has all to himself?” Father Camorra interrupted. […]
“He says there’s no roof,” the secretary replied. “And seeing as how he bought maps and notebooks out of his own pocket, he doesn’t want to expose them to bad weather.”
“That has nothing to do with me,” His Excellency muttered. “Tell him to ask the director of administration, or the provincial governor, or the nuncio.”
“I’ll tell you what, Father Camorra said. “This little schoolmaster is a bit of a filibuster malcontent. The guy’s a heretic! He maintains that a corpse rots the same whether you bury it with a ceremony or without one. Darn! One of these days I’m gonna haul off and slug him.”
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16. The Tribulations of a Chinaman
Quotes
The Chinaman respected the jeweler a great deal not only for his wealth but for the rumored influence he had over the captain-general. It was said that Simoun favored the Chinaman’s aspirations and was in favor of the consulate. A certain Sinophobic newspaper had made veiled references to him, though with a great deal of periphrasis, indirection, and sly suggestion, and in its well-known polemic enjoined the partisan newspaper of the people of the queue. Some of the more circumspect people added with nudges and winks that the Dark Eminence counseled the general to value the Chinese while depreciating the rigorous dignity of the natives.
“To subjugate a people,” he said, “there is nothing like humiliating them and debasing them in their own eyes.”
31. The Chief of Staff
Quotes
In the garden, he came upon his coach, which was waiting for him.
“One day when you declare your independence,” he said to the lackey who had opened the coach door, taking heart, “remember that there were some in Spain who didn’t lack the courage to suffer for you and fight for your rights.”
“Where to, señor?” the lackey inquired. He hadn’t understood a word, and just wanted to know the destination.
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The Captain-General Quotes in El Filibusterismo
The El Filibusterismo quotes below are all either spoken by The Captain-General or refer to The Captain-General. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
11. Los Baños
Quotes
“The Tianí schoolmaster,” the secretary went on, as he riffled through his papers, “is looking for a better building—”
“What better building can he have than that warehouse that he has all to himself?” Father Camorra interrupted. […]
“He says there’s no roof,” the secretary replied. “And seeing as how he bought maps and notebooks out of his own pocket, he doesn’t want to expose them to bad weather.”
“That has nothing to do with me,” His Excellency muttered. “Tell him to ask the director of administration, or the provincial governor, or the nuncio.”
“I’ll tell you what, Father Camorra said. “This little schoolmaster is a bit of a filibuster malcontent. The guy’s a heretic! He maintains that a corpse rots the same whether you bury it with a ceremony or without one. Darn! One of these days I’m gonna haul off and slug him.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
16. The Tribulations of a Chinaman
Quotes
The Chinaman respected the jeweler a great deal not only for his wealth but for the rumored influence he had over the captain-general. It was said that Simoun favored the Chinaman’s aspirations and was in favor of the consulate. A certain Sinophobic newspaper had made veiled references to him, though with a great deal of periphrasis, indirection, and sly suggestion, and in its well-known polemic enjoined the partisan newspaper of the people of the queue. Some of the more circumspect people added with nudges and winks that the Dark Eminence counseled the general to value the Chinese while depreciating the rigorous dignity of the natives.
“To subjugate a people,” he said, “there is nothing like humiliating them and debasing them in their own eyes.”
31. The Chief of Staff
Quotes
In the garden, he came upon his coach, which was waiting for him.
“One day when you declare your independence,” he said to the lackey who had opened the coach door, taking heart, “remember that there were some in Spain who didn’t lack the courage to suffer for you and fight for your rights.”
“Where to, señor?” the lackey inquired. He hadn’t understood a word, and just wanted to know the destination.
