Noli me tángere. English

by José Rizal

  CHAPTER XIX

  A Schoolmaster's Difficulties

  El vulgo es necio y pues lo paga, es justo Hablarle en necio para darle el gusto. [62]

  LOPE DE VEGA.

  The mountain-encircled lake slept peacefully with that hypocrisy ofthe elements which gave no hint of how its waters had the night beforeresponded to the fury of the storm. As the first reflections of lightawoke on its surface the phosphorescent spirits, there were outlinedin the distance, almost on the horizon, the gray silhouettes of thelittle bankas of the fishermen who were taking in their nets andof the larger craft spreading their sails. Two men dressed in deepmourning stood gazing at the water from a little elevation: one wasIbarra and the other a youth of humble aspect and melancholy features.

  "This is the place," the latter was saying. "From here your father'sbody was thrown into the water. Here's where the grave-digger broughtLieutenant Guevara and me."

  Ibarra warmly grasped the hand of the young man, who went on: "Youhave no occasion to thank me. I owed many favors to your father, andthe only thing that I could do for him was to accompany his body tothe grave. I came here without knowing any one, without recommendation,and having neither name nor fortune, just as at present. My predecessorhad abandoned the school to engage in the tobacco trade. Your fatherprotected me, secured me a house, and furnished whatever was necessaryfor running the school. He used to visit the classes and distributepictures among the poor but studious children, as well as providethem with books and paper. But this, like all good things, lastedonly a little while."

  Ibarra took off his hat and seemed to be praying for a time. Then heturned to his companion: "Did you say that my father helped the poorchildren? 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, aftera pause.

  "More than two hundred on the roll but only about twenty-five inactual attendance."

  "How does that happen?"

  The schoolmaster smiled sadly as he answered, "To tell you the reasonswould make a long and tiresome story."

  "Don't attribute my question to idle curiosity," replied Ibarragravely, while he stared at the distant horizon. "I've thoughtbetter of it and believe that to carry out my father's ideas will bemore fitting than to weep for him, and far better than to revengehim. Sacred nature has become his grave, and his enemies were thepeople and a priest. The former I pardon on account of their ignoranceand the latter because I wish that Religion, which elevated society,should be respected. I wish to be inspired with the spirit of himwho gave me life and therefore desire to know about the obstaclesencountered 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 wishto know the obstacles which the progress of education meets? Wellthen, under present circumstances, without substantial aid educationwill never amount to much; in the very first place because, evenwhen we have the pupils, lack of suitable means, and other thingsthat attract them more, kill off their interest. It is said that inGermany 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 tobe obtained? They read, write, and memorize selections, and sometimeswhole 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 notonly against prejudices but also against certain influences. First,it would be necessary to have a suitable place and not to do as Imust at present--hold the classes under the convento by the side ofthe 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 insultsme at times. You know that no one can either teach or learn undersuch circumstances, for the child will not respect his teacher whenhe sees him abused without standing up for his rights. In order tobe 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 tointroduce reforms and have been laughed at. In order to remedy the evilof which I just spoke to you, I tried to teach Spanish to the childrenbecause, in addition to the fact that the government so orders, Ithought also that it would be of advantage for everybody. I used thesimplest method of words and phrases without paying any attention tolong rules, expecting to teach them grammar when they should understandthe language. At the end of a few weeks some of the brightest werealmost able to understand me and could use a few phrases."

  The schoolmaster paused and seemed to hesitate, then, as if makinga resolution, he went on: "I must not be ashamed of the story ofmy wrongs, for any one in my place would have acted the same as Idid. As I said, it was a good beginning, but a few days afterwardsPadre Damaso, who was the curate then, sent for me by the seniorsacristan. Knowing his disposition and fearing to make him wait,I went upstairs at once, saluted him, and wished him good-morningin Spanish. His only greeting had been to put out his hand for me tokiss, but at this he drew it back and without answering me began tolaugh loud and mockingly. I was very much embarrassed, as the seniorsacristan 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. ThenI began to get impatient and saw that I was about to do somethingindiscreet, since to be a good Christian and to preserve one'sdignity are not incompatible. I was going to put a question to himwhen suddenly, passing from ridicule to insult, he said sarcastically,'So it's _buenos dins, eh? Buenos dias!_ How nice that you know howto 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 tolaugh. I was still standing--I felt the blood rush to my head andlightning seemed to flash through my brain. The curate I saw far,far away. I advanced to reply to him without knowing just what I wasgoing to say, but the senior sacristan put himself between us. PadreDamaso arose and said to me in Tagalog: 'Don't try to shine in borrowedfinery. 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 hada school.' I wanted to detain him, but he went into his bedroom andslammed the door.

  "What was I to do with only my meager salary, to collect which Ihave to get the curate's approval and make a trip to the capital ofthe province, what could I do against him, the foremost religiousand political power in the town, backed up by his Order, feared bythe government, rich, powerful, sought after and listened to, alwaysbelieved and heeded by everybody? Although he insulted me, I had toremain silent, for if I replied he would have had me removed from myposition, by which I should lose all hope in my chosen profession. Norwould the cause of education gain anything, but the opposite, foreverybody would take the curate's side, they would curse me andcall me presumptuous, proud, vain, a bad Christian, uncultured,and if not those things, then anti-Spanish and a filibuster. Of aschoolmaster neither learning nor zeal is expected; resignation,humility, and inaction only are asked. May God pardon me if I havegone against my conscience and my judgement, but I was born in thiscountry, I have to live, I have a mother, so I have abandoned myselfto my fate like a corpse tossed about by the waves."

  "Did this difficulty discourage you for all time? Have you livedso since?"

  "Would that it had been a warning to me! If only my troubles had beenlimited to that! It is true that from that time I began to dislikemy profession
and thought of seeking some other occupation, as mypredecessor had done, because any work that is done in disgust andshame is a kind of martyrdom and because every day the school recalledthe insult to my mind, causing me hours of great bitterness. But whatwas I to do? I could not undeceive my mother, I had to say to her thather three years of sacrifice to give me this profession now constitutedmy happiness. It is necessary to make her believe that this professionis most honorable, the work delightful, the way strewn with flowers,that the performance of my duties brings me only friendship, that thepeople respect me and show me every consideration. By doing otherwise,without ceasing to be unhappy myself, I should have caused moresorrow, 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 Iwas so grossly insulted I began to examine myself and I found that Iwas in fact very ignorant. I applied myself day and night to the studyof Spanish and whatever concerned my profession. The old Sage lent mesome books, and I read and pondered over everything that I could gethold of. With the new ideas that I have been acquiring in one placeand another my point of view has changed and I have seen many thingsunder a different aspect from what they had appeared to me before. Isaw error where before I had seen only truth, and truth in manythings where I had formerly seen only error. Corporal punishment, forexample, which from time immemorial has been the distinctive featurein the schools and which has heretofore been considered as the onlyefficacious means of making pupils learn--so we have been accustomedto believe--soon appeared to me to be a great hindrance rather thanin any way an aid to the child's progress. I became convinced thatit was impossible to use one's mind properly when blows, or similarpunishment, were in prospect. Fear and terror disturb the most serene,and a child's imagination, besides being very lively, is also veryimpressionable. As it is on the brain that ideas are impressed,it is necessary that there be both inner and outer calm, that therebe serenity of spirit, physical and moral repose, and willingness,so I thought that before everything else I should cultivate in thechildren confidence, assurance, and some personal pride. Moreover,I comprehended that the daily sight of floggings destroyed kindnessin their hearts and deadened all sense of dignity, which is such apowerful lever in the world. At the same time it caused them to losetheir sense of shame, which is a difficult thing to restore. I havealso observed that when one pupil is flogged, he gets comfort fromthe fact that the others are treated in the same way, and that hesmiles with satisfaction upon hearing the wails of the others. As forthe person who does the flogging, while at first he may do it withrepugnance, he soon becomes hardened to it and even takes delight inhis gloomy task. The past filled me with horror, so I wanted to savethe present by modifying the old system. I endeavored to make studya thing of love and joy, I wished to make the primer not a black bookbathed in the tears of childhood but a friend who was going to revealwonderful secrets, and of the schoolroom not a place of sorrows but ascene of intellectual refreshment. So, little by little, I abolishedcorporal punishment, taking the instruments of it entirely away fromthe school and replacing them with emulation and personal pride. Ifone was careless about his lesson, I charged it to lack of desireand never to lack of capacity. I made them think that they were morecapable than they really were, which urged them on to study just asany confidence leads to notable achievements. At first it seemed thatthe change of method was impracticable; many ceased their studies,but I persisted and observed that little by little their minds werebeing elevated and that more children came, that they came with moreregularity, and that he who was praised in the presence of the othersstudied with double diligence on the next day.

  "It soon became known throughout the town that I did not whipthe children. The curate sent for me, and fearing another scene Igreeted him curtly in Tagalog. On this occasion he was very seriouswith me. He said that I was exposing the children to destruction,that I was wasting time, that I was not fulfilling my duties, thatthe father who spared the rod was spoiling the child--accordingto the Holy Ghost--that learning enters with blood, and so on. Hequoted to me sayings of barbarous times just as if it were enoughthat a thing had been said by the ancients to make it indisputable;according to which we ought to believe that there really existedthose monsters which in past ages were imaged and sculptured in thepalaces and temples. Finally, he charged me to be more careful and toreturn to the old system, otherwise he would make unfavorable reportabout me to the alcalde of the province. Nor was this the end of mytroubles. A few days afterward some of the parents of the childrenpresented themselves under the convento and I had to call to my aidall my patience and resignation. They began by reminding me of formertimes when teachers had character and taught as their grandfathershad. 'Those indeed were the times of the wise men,' they declared,'they whipped, and straightened the bent tree. They were not boys butold men of experience, gray-haired and severe. Don Catalino, king ofthem all and founder of this very school, used to administer no lessthan twenty-five blows and as a result his pupils became wise menand priests. Ah, the old people were worth more than we ourselves,yes, sir, more than we ourselves!' Some did not content themselveswith such indirect rudeness, but told me plainly that if I continuedmy system their children would learn nothing and that they would beobliged to take them from the school It was useless to argue with them,for as a young man they thought me incapable of sound judgment. Whatwould I not have given for some gray hairs! They cited the authorityof the curate, of this one and that one, and even called attentionto themselves, saying that if it had not been for the whippingsthey had received from their teachers they would never have learnedanything. Only a few persons showed any sympathy to sweeten for methe bitterness of such a disillusioning.

  "In view of all this I had to give up my system, which, after so muchtoil, was just beginning to produce results. In desperation I carriedthe whips bank to the school the next day and began the barbarouspractice again. Serenity disappeared and sadness reigned in the facesof the children, who had just begun to care for me, and who were myonly kindred and friends. Although I tried to spare the whippings andto administer them with all the moderation possible, yet the childrenfelt the change keenly, they became discouraged and wept bitterly. Ittouched my heart, and even though in my own mind I was vexed with thestupid parents, still I was unable to take any spite out on thoseinnocent victims of their parents' prejudices. Their tears burnedme, my heart seemed bursting from my breast, and that day I leftthe school before closing-time to go home and weep alone. Perhapsmy sensitiveness may seem strange to you, but if you had been in myplace you would understand it. Old Don Anastasio said to me, 'So theparents want floggings? Why not inflict them on themselves?' As aresult of it all I became sick." Ibarra was listening thoughtfully.

  "Scarcely had I recovered when I returned to the school to find thenumber of my pupils reduced to a fifth. The better ones had run awayupon the return to the old system, and of those who remained--mostlythose who came to school to escape work at home--not one showed anyjoy, not one congratulated me on my recovery. It would have been thesame to them whether I got well or not, or they might have preferredthat I continue sick since my substitute, although he whipped themmore, rarely went to the school. My other pupils, those whose parentshad obliged them to attend school, had gone to other places. Theirparents blamed me for having spoiled them and heaped reproaches onme for it. One, however, the son of a country woman who visited meduring my illness, had not returned on account of having been madea sacristan, and the senior sacristan says that the sacristans mustnot attend school: they would be dismissed."

  "Were you resigned in looking after your new pupils?" asked Ibarra.

  "What else could I do?" was the queried reply. "Nevertheless, during myillness many things had happened, among them a change of curates, soI took new hope and made another attempt to the end that the childrenshould not lose all their time and should, in so far as possible, getsome benefit from the floggin
gs, that such things might at least havesome good result for them. I pondered over the matter, as I wished thateven if they could not love me, by getting something useful from me,they might remember me with less bitterness. You know that in nearlyall the schools the books are in Spanish, with the exception of thecatechism in Tagalog, which varies according to the religious order towhich the curate belongs. These books are generally novenas, canticles,and the Catechism of Padre Astete, [65] from which they learn aboutas much piety as they would from the books of heretics. Seeing theimpossibility of teaching the pupils in Spanish or of translating somany books, I tried to substitute short passages from useful worksin Tagalog, such as the Treatise on Manners by Hortensio y Feliza,some manuals of Agriculture, and so forth. Sometimes I would myselftranslate simple works, such as Padre Barranera's History of thePhilippines, which I then dictated to the children, with at times afew observations of my own, so that they might make note-books. AsI had no maps for teaching geography, I copied one of the provincethat I saw at the capital and with this and the tiles of the floorI gave them some idea of the country. This time it was the womenwho got excited. The men contented themselves with smiling, as theysaw in it only one of my vagaries. The new curate sent for me, andwhile he did not reprimand me, yet he said that I should first takecare of religion, that before learning such things the children mustpass an examination to show that they had memorized the mysteries,the canticles, and the catechism of Christian Doctrine.

  "So then, I am now working to the end that the children become changedinto parrots and know by heart so many things of which they do notunderstand a single word. Many of them now know the mysteries andthe canticles, but I fear that my efforts will come to grief withthe Catechism of Padre Astete, since the greater part of the pupilsdo not distinguish between the questions and the answers, nor do theyunderstand what either may mean. Thus we shall die, thus those unbornwill do, while in Europe they will talk of progress."

  "Let's not be so pessimistic," said Ibarra. "The teniente-mayor hassent me an invitation to attend a meeting in the town hall. Who knowsbut that there you may find an answer to your questions?"

  The schoolmaster shook his head in doubt as he answered: "You'll seehow the plan of which they talked to me meets the same fate as minehas. But yet, let us see!"