Her Beauty and Fragrance Was Prominent to Him

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Contributing towards the historical significance of this literary work is its social and economic impact. Bonifacio was at the forefront of the revolution and therefore played a major role in the propaganda published against Spain. The social and cultural context was during the Spanish-Colonial rule which facilitated his use of literature as a form of expression and nationalism. Without the influence of the European lifestyle, culture, and norms, Bonifacio’s approach to recording and promoting the fight for independence would have taken a different path. The rampant poverty, inequality, and abuse of power from the Spanish onto Filipinos is what lead to the plea for reform. His approach however vastly differed from Rizal’s. Bonifacio called for an armed resistance and rebellion against the colonial government. He and other members of Katipunan established themselves throughout the country in an organized and hierarchal society that aimed to take down the Spanish rule. It is from these surrounding factors, that had a great impact on Bonifacio, which served as his incentive to fight.

With my limited knowledge on Filipino culture and history, I support the ideology expressed throughout this poem. The colonial rule over the Filipinos showed a blatant disregard for human rights and violated their entitlement to land and resources. The governance over Filipinos during this time was comparable to the barbaric treatment of slaves and marginalized the natives in every aspect; their language, history, art, culture, norms and traditions. There was almost a complete erasure of the Filipinos as a people which was quickly and aggressively replaced by an economic structure designed to ignore the basic needs of Filipinos. In addition to this, Rizal’s approach was viewed (by Bonifacio) as unsuccessful. His frustrations with the colonial rule and the slow progress of Rizal’s peaceful approach fueled him and motivated his feelings for a swifter and more direct approach towards a revolution. Derived off the platform and foundation set by Rizal, Bonifacio was inspired to bring about changes and reform to his country. Because of the circumstances and environment that pervaded in the Philippines, I believe the philosophy that guided Bonifacio came from a place of benevolence and compassion for the people of his nation. The suffering of his people acted as the catalyst that thrust him into the realm of politics and revolutionary reform.

Through his use of language and other literary devices, he was effective in conveying his message and invoking the appropriate responses from readers. He depicted patriotism from a position of positivity and honesty, instead of blind nationalism. Rather than striking an air of superiority to Filipinos, he approached pride sensitively and compounded on the virtues of love. Bonifacio used his informal education and knowledge from books in a way where he was able to reach out and affect people’s lives and change the focus of their mindsets from passivity to revolution.

The Philippines’ Spanish Colonial rule was far from peaceful and altruistic, which inevitably lead to the uprising of the people, aided by dominant figures who stood out in solidarity. Their ability to express themselves and document the current events and conditions of that time through literature was revolutionary for their country. The magnitude of the effect of their literary works has survived to present day and still carries significance to modern day Filipino culture.

REFERENCES

Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan. (2015, September 08). Retrieved October 19,

2017, from http://nhcp.gov.ph/andres-bonifacio-and-the-katipunan/

Bonifacio, A. (1896). Pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa (love of country). Manila,

Philippines.

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