The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere
the elements which gave no hint of how its waters had the night before
responded to the fury of the storm. As the first reflections of light
awoke on its surface the phosphorescent spirits, there were outlined
in the distance, almost on the horizon, the gray silhouettes of the
little bankas of the fishermen who were taking in their nets and
of the larger craft spreading their sails. Two men dressed in deep
mourning stood gazing at the water from a little elevation: one was
Ibarra and the other a youth of humble aspect and melancholy features.
"This is the place," the latter was saying. "From here your father's
body was thrown into the water. Here's where the grave-digger brought
Lieutenant Guevara and me."
Ibarra warmly grasped the hand of the young man, who went on: "You
have no occasion to thank me. I owed many favors to your father, and
the only thing that I could do for him was to accompany his body to
the grave. I came here without knowing any one, without recommendation,
and having neither name nor fortune, just as at present. My predecessor
had abandoned the school to engage in the tobacco trade. Your father
protected me, secured me a house, and furnished whatever was necessary
for running the school. He used to visit the classes and distribute
pictures among the poor but studious children, as well as provide
them with books and paper. But this, like all good things, lasted
only a little while."
Ibarra took off his hat and seemed to be praying for a time. Then he
turned to his companion: "Did you say that my father helped the poor
children? And now?"
"Now they get along as well as possible and write when they can,"
answered the youth.
"What is the reason?"
"The reason lies in their torn camisas and their downcast eyes."
"How many pupils have you now?" asked Ibarra with interest, after
a pause.
"More than two hundred on the roll but only about twenty-five in
actual attendance."
"How does that happen?"
The schoolmaster smiled sadly as he answered, "To tell you the reasons
would make a long and tiresome story."
"Don't attribute my question to idle curiosity," replied Ibarra
gravely, while he stared at the distant horizon. "I've thought
better of it and believe that to carry out my father's ideas will be
more fitting than to weep for him, and far better than to revenge
him. Sacred nature has become his grave, and his enemies were the
people and a priest. The former I pardon on account of their ignorance
and the latter because I wish that Religion, which elevated society,
should be respected. I wish to be inspired with the spirit of him
who gave me life and therefore desire to know about the obstacles
encountered here in educational work."
"The country will bless your memory, sir," said the schoolmaster,
"if you carry out the beautiful plans of your dead father! You wish
to know the obstacles which the progress of education meets? Well
then, under present circumstances, without substantial aid education
will never amount to much; in the very first place because, even
when we have the pupils, lack of suitable means, and other things
that attract them more, kill off their interest. It is said that in
Germany a peasant's son studies for eight years in the town school,
but who here would spend half that time when such poor results are to
be obtained? They read, write, and memorize selections, and sometimes
whole books, in Spanish, without understanding a single word. [63]
What benefit does our country child get from the school?"
"And why have you, who see the evil, not thought of remedying it?"
The schoolmaster shook his head sadly. "A poor teacher struggles not
only against prejudices but also against certain influences. First,
it would be necessary to have a suitable place and not to do as I
must at present--hold the classes under the convento by the side of
the padre's carriage. There the children, who like to read aloud,
very naturally disturb the padre, and he often comes down, nervous,
especially when he has his attacks, yells at them, and even insults
me at times. You know that no one can either teach or learn under
such circumstances, for the child will not respect his teacher when
he sees him abused without standing up for his rights. In order to
be heeded and to maintain his authority the teacher needs prestige,
reputation, moral strength, and some freedom of action.
"Now let me recount to you even sadder details. I have wished to
introduce reforms and have been laughed at. In order to remedy the evil
of which I just spoke to you, I tried to teach Spanish to the children
because, in addition to the fact that the government so orders, I
thought also that it would be of advantage for everybody. I used the
simplest method of words and phrases without paying any attention to
long rules, expecting to teach them grammar when they should understand
the language. At the end of a few weeks some of the brightest were
almost able to understand me and could use a few phrases."
The schoolmaster paused and seemed to hesitate, then, as if making
a resolution, he went on: "I must not be ashamed of the story of
my wrongs, for any one in my place would have acted the same as I
did. As I said, it was a good beginning, but a few days afterwards
Padre Damaso, who was the curate then, sent for me by the senior
sacristan. Knowing his disposition and fearing to make him wait,
I went upstairs at once, saluted him, and wished him good-morning
in Spanish. His only greeting had been to put out his hand for me to
kiss, but at this he drew it back and without answering me began to
laugh loud and mockingly. I was very much embarrassed, as the senior
sacristan was present. At the moment I didn't know just what to say,
for the curate continued his laughter and I stood staring at him. Then
I began to get impatient and saw that I was about to do something
indiscreet, since to be a good Christian and to preserve one's
dignity are not incompatible. I was going to put a question to him
when suddenly, passing from ridicule to insult, he said sarcastically,
'So it's _buenos dins, eh? Buenos dias!_ How nice that you know how
to talk Spanish!' Then again he broke out into laughter."
Ibarra was unable to repress a smile.
"You smile," continued the schoolmaster, following Ibarra's example,
"but I must confess that at the time I had very little desire to
laugh. I was still standing--I felt the blood rush to my head and
lightning seemed to flash through my brain. The curate I saw far,
far away. I advanced to reply to him without knowing just what I was
going to say, but the senior sacristan put himself between us. Padre
Damaso arose and said to me in Tagalog: 'Don't try to shine in borrowed
finery. Be content to talk your own dialect and don't spoil Spanish,
which isn't meant for you. Do you know the teacher Ciruela? [64]
Well, Ciruela was a teacher who didn't know how to read, and he had
a school.' I wanted to detain him, but he went into his bedroom and
slammed the door.
"What was I to do with only my meager salary, to collect which I
have to get the curate's approval and make a trip to the capital of
the province, what could I do against him, the foremost religious
and political power in the town, backed up by his Order, feared by
the government, rich, powerful, sought after and listened to, always
believed and heeded by everybody? Although he insulted me, I had to
remain silent, for if I replied he would have had me removed from my
position, by which I should lose all hope in my chosen profession. Nor
would the cause of education gain anything, but the opposite, for
everybody would take the curate's side, they would curse me and
call me presumptuous, proud, vain, a bad Christian, uncultured,
and if not those things, then anti-Spanish and a filibuster. Of a
schoolmaster neither learning nor zeal is expected; resignation,
humility, and inaction only are asked. May God pardon me if I have
gone against my conscience and my judgement, but I was born in this
country, I have to live, I have a mother, so I have abandoned myself
to my fate like a corpse tossed about by the waves."
"Did this difficulty discourage you for all time? Have you lived
so since?"
"Would that it had been a warning to me! If only my troubles had been
limited to that! It is true that from that time I began to dislike
my profession and thought of seeking some other occupation, as my
predecessor had done, because any work that is done in disgust and
shame is a kind of martyrdom and because every day the school recalled
the insult to my mind, causing me hours of great bitterness. But what
was I to do? I could not undeceive my mother, I had to say to her that
her three years of sacrifice to give me this profession now constituted
my happiness. It is necessary to make her believe that this profession
is most honorable, the work delightful, the way strewn with flowers,
that the performance of my duties brings me only friendship, that the
people respect me and show me every consideration. By doing otherwise,
without ceasing to be unhappy myself, I should have caused more
sorrow, which besides being useless would also be a sin. I stayed on,
therefore, and tried not to feel discouraged. I tried to struggle on."
Here he paused for a while, then resumed: "From the day on which I
was so grossly insulted I began to examine myself and I found that I
was in fact very ignorant. I applied myself day and night to the study
of Spanish and whatever concerned my profession. The old Sage lent me
some books, and I read and pondered over everything that I could get
hold of. With the new ideas that I have been acquiring in one place
and another my point of view has changed and I have seen many things
under a different aspect from what they had appeared to me before. I
saw error where before I had seen only truth, and truth in many
things where I had formerly seen only error. Corporal punishment, for
example, which from time immemorial has been the distinctive feature
in the schools and which has heretofore been considered as the only
efficacious means of making pupils learn--so we have been accustomed
to believe--soon appeared to me to be a great hindrance rather than
in any way an aid to the child's progress. I became convinced that
it was impossible to use one's mind properly when blows, or similar
punishment, were in prospect. Fear and terror disturb the most serene,
and a child's imagination, besides being very lively, is also very
impressionable. As it is on the brain that ideas are impressed,
it is necessary that there be both inner and outer calm, that there
be serenity of spirit, physical and moral repose, and willingness,
so I thought that before everything else I should cultivate in the
children confidence, assurance, and some personal pride. Moreover,
I comprehended that the daily sight of floggings destroyed kindness
in their hearts and deadened all sense of dignity, which is such a
powerful lever in the world. At the same time it caused them to lose
their sense of shame, which is a difficult thing to restore. I have
also observed that when one pupil is flogged, he gets comfort from
the fact that the others are treated in the same way, and that he
smiles with satisfaction upon hearing the wails of the others. As for
the person who does the flogging, while at first he may do it with
repugnance, he soon becomes hardened to it and even takes delight in
his gloomy task. The past filled me with horror, so I wanted to save
the present by modifying the old system. I endeavored to make study
a thing of love and joy, I wished to make the primer not a black book
bathed in the tears of childhood but a friend who was going to reveal
wonderful secrets, and of the schoolroom not a place of sorrows but a