51 pages • 1 hour read
José RizalEl Filibusterismo
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1891A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
After doing some research, what effect did Rizal’s novels (both Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo) have on Philippine culture? Did it have an effect?
El Filibusterismo is dedicated to three Filipino priests—Don Francisco Gómez, Don José Burgos, and Don Jacinto Zamora. Who were these three men, what did they do, and how does the novel honor their memory?
In Chapter 7, Simoun says, “There are no despots where there are no slaves” (80). What does he mean by this? Is he correct?
An alternate title for El Filibusterismo is Reign of Greed. Explain why this is a workable title and how it relates to the novel’s depiction of colonialism.
Compare and contrast the plot of El Filibusterismo with the French play Les cloches de Corneville. What are their similarities and differences? Why did Rizal incorporate the play into his novel, and how does it aid in understanding Manilan colonial society?
Julí and María Clara share a similar fate. What does this say about the abuses women had to endure and their situation in Philippine colonial life?
How could one, using Marxist literary theory, rewrite Cabesang Tales’s story?
Why do the students want to establish a Castilian Academy? Why do the friars oppose this idea so vehemently? How does the friars’ resistance speak to Spanish colonialism?
Rizal uses many languages in his novels, particularly Latin. How does the use of Latin underscore the notion of European imperialism on a grander scale that just Spanish imperialism?
El Filibusterismo mirrors The Count of Monte Cristo in many ways. With that said, why does Simoun/Ibarra fail in his revenge when Edmond Dantès does not? How does the two novels’ motif of revenge differ?
