“There is something painful about

these introductory comments. The national

hero’s novel is to be made ‘palatable’ to a
younger generation of Filipinos ‘who no
longer have any idea of their forefathers’…
Bowdlerization and modernization… are,
one is told, the necessary nationalist
means for keeping Rizal alive for Filipino
youth, and preserving his Filipino glory
from Anglo-Saxon mirth.
So far, so clear. Yet what Guerrero
actually did with Noli seems – at first sight
– to have almost no connection with these
stated purposes.”
Demodernization
Exclusion of the Reader
Excision of Tagalog
Bowdlerization
Delocalization
De-Europeanization
Anachronism

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Rizal’s characteristic,
bravura style of
writing
◦ Although set in the
(recent) past, there are
modulations of the
present; hence, the use
of present tenses.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Rizal, 1978, p.1: Guerrero, p.1:

“Like an electric shock the news [of “…whom God, in his infinite wisdom,
Don Santiago de los Santos’s party] had created and so fondly multiplied
ran through the world of parasites, in Manila.”
spongers, and gatecrashers who
God created in his infinite goodness,
and so affectionately multiplies in
Manila.”

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Repercussions

 The effect of Guerrero’s alterations does not “update”

Rizal’s novels; instead, it has pushed it deeply back to
the past
◦ It’s not as if God no longer fondly multiplied parasites in
Manila, nor justice is given more importance than humanity.

 Rizal’s novels → TIMELY.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Rizal has a unique way of
including the readers in the
events of the story, as if we were
“ghosts and angels” that
penetrates invisibility to scenes.

◦ This is a literary technique that

allows the readers to be sucked
deep into the story, “engaging the
readers’ emotions, teasing their
curiosity, and offering them
malicious voyeuristic pleasures”
(which is similar to that of a
cinema).

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Rizal, p. 45: Guerrero, p. 48:

“Capitan Tiago became uneasy, and “He made Capitan Tiago so uneasy
lost his tongue, but obeyed and he was unable to reply, and
followed after the colossal priest, obediently followed the burly priest
who locked the door behind him. who closed the door behind them.
While they are conferring in secret, let Meanwhile, in another part of the city
us find out what has happened to Fr. the scholarly Dominican, Fr. Sibyla,
Sibyla.” had left his parish house….”

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Rizal, p. 2: Guerrero, p. 2:

“Since there are no porters or servants “No porter or footman would have
requesting or asking to see invitation asked the visitor for his invitation
cards, let us proceed upstairs, O reader card, he would have gone up freely,
of mine, be you enemy or friend, if you attracted by the strains of orchestra
are drawn to the strains of the orchestra, music and the suggestive tinkling of
the light(s), or the suggestive clinking of silver and china, and perhaps, if a
dishes and trays, and if you wish to see foreigner, curious about the kind of
how parties are given in the Pearl of the dinner parties that were given in what
Orient. With pleasure, and were it merely was called the Pearl of the Orient.
for my convenience, I would spare you a Men are like turtles; they are
description of the house. Yet it is so classified and valued according to
important, since we mortals are in their shells. In this, and indeed in
general like turtles; we have value and other respects, the inhabitants of the
are classified according to our shells. In Philippines at that time were turtles.”
this, and indeed in other respects,
mortals in the Philippines are also like
turtles.”

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Realizations

 There seems to be a barrier between the reader and the

author in Guerrero’s translation
◦ Amigo o enemigo? Who? Other Filipinos? Spaniards?? My, oh my,
Noli is a novel written to ignite nationalism in the Filipino youth
and Filipino people! Why would Spanish readers be included
“inside it”?

 Rizal’s novels → INCLUSIVE.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Rizal’s Spanish text is
bejeweled with the
Tagalog words and
expressions:
◦ Comic relief
◦ Deeper sense of conflict
◦ Reflect the casual
penetration of imperial
vernacular by local
languages

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Rizal, p. 16: Guerrero, p. 19:

“Cualquier bata de escuela lo sabe!” “Any schoolboy knows as much!”

*bata is a tagalog word for child of *as if Rizal has written muchacho
either sex, but here it clearly means instead of bata
‘boy.’

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Tagalog words (salakot, timsim, paragos, or
sinigang) were rendered as “native straw hat,”
“crude lamp,” “native sled,” “native dish.”
◦ Tagalog exclamations were summarily eliminated
(Naku! Aba!, and Susmariosep!)

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Effect

 One would find it strange to use native dish instead of just

saying Sinigang
◦ The constant exchange and fusion of TagLish would make Noli
seem contemporary, again, pushing the translation further into the
past, distancing the readers from familiarizing the national hero.

 Rizal’s novels → IDENTITY.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Bowdlerize, to remove
material that is
considered improper or
offensive from a text or
account
◦ Guerrero bowdlerize many
passages that made him
feel uncomfortable
 Political or religious matters
 Swear words
 References to bodily
functions

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Rizal, p. 28: Guerrero, p. 32:

“Had he not seen with his own piggy eyes, during “Had he not seen with his own little
the sermon on [Jesus’] Seven Last Words, all the eyes the images of Christ, during
images of Christ thrice moving and bending their the Good Friday sermons on the
heads in unison, provoking to tears and shrieks all Seven Last Words, thrice raising
the women and sensitive souls destined for and hanging their heads in unison,
Heaven? We have ourselves observed a preacher moving to tears and pious
displaying to the public, at the moment of the exclamations all the women in
Descent from the Cross, a blood-stained church and indeed all sensitive
handkerchief; then, just as we too were about to souls destined for salvation?”
burst into pious tears, a sacristan assured us – to
our spiritual misfortune – that it was just a joke: it
was the blood of a hen, roasted and devoured
instanter, despite its being Good Friday…and the
sacristan was fat.”

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Rizal also has his rough characters swear the
typographical convention “p –”
◦ The typical putangina, combination of the Spanish
puta (whore) and the tagalog inay (mother), i.e. “Your
mother is a whore!”
 Puñeta (“Jack off”)

◦ Guerrero either erase “p –” or replace it with “dammit”

or “damn you.”

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Bawal umihi rito, “No pissing here!”
◦ Men are accustomed to relieve themselves
whenever and wherever the urge kicks in.
 Urinating passages are deleted by the author.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Realizations

 The effect of Guerrero’s removing of passages shows

denial on the actual events and circumstances of
Philippine setting.

 Rizal’s novels → REALITY.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Almost all scenes in Noli are set in “San
Diego” (Calamba) or in Manila
◦ References/descriptions that though names have
been changed, they are still very familiar to those
who have lived in the place longer

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Effect

 But Guerrero employs an American version of

places, which make the protagonists and
antagonists hard for them to move around
◦ Eliminated local artists, and generalized them
◦ There is importance to sticking to original artists and
their names.

 Rizal’s novels → LOCAL.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Rizal was an unusually
cultivated man
◦ Jesuit schooling with
Latin and the world of
antiquity
 Knew Spanish, English,
French, and German
 Also Italian and Hebrew
 Read widely in European
literature

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 Noli is filled with untranslated classical tags,
references, and quotes from famous
European masters
 Guerrero’s approach was to eliminate or
naturalize them

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Rizal, p. 262-263: Guerrero, p. 299-300:

“Medusa!” (refers to the chief “Doña Consolacion.”

villainess)

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
Irony

 Guerrero prided himself on his anti-American

nationalism, yet the effect of his de-Europeanization is
to not Filipinize Rizal but Americanize him.

 Rizal’s novels → ART.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina
 An object which
belongs to a certain
time frame but is
found within another,
more specifically
within another old
era.

Hard to Imagine
Encabo, Corina