diced b Jos e S. Arc a, - non

complaints that are voiced in Rizal's novel are poured out A superficialglance will suffice to give an idea of the similarities:You, and many others like you, believe the friars are needed in the Islands. Youare quite wrong!In their time the religious orders were useful and needed in the Philippines ... buttheir mission is over. (Noli, chapter 50)You see nothing priestly in the friar. A ridiculuos habit which collects much dirtand, above all, going without socks inspires only revulsion. (Noli, chapter 1). . . he calls these [the students] petty lawyers, are the objects of special disdain,not satisfied until they obtain, through much vexation and whatever means are athand (numerous anywhere), their alienation from the people. (Noli, chapters 40and 52). . . he lives in peace, a feudal lord, except that instead of the fork and knife, heuses and misuses the cane. (Noli, chapters 11 and 51). . . to see a woman with a normal figure, single or married, and be moved todesire her, is impossible for him. (Noli, chapters 1 and 20)He abused in the convento a girl ten or twelve years old, causing her death. Andwhen his disconsolate parents went to complain against the rapist, they exitedbythe window, one breaking his leg, the other jumping to his death. (Noli, chapter46)The vicar is a miserable native priest whom he . . jeers at and buffets. (Noli,chapter 1 and 36)The funeral arrangements . . . as usual, settled for the most frivolous and unjustreasons. It is not yet four years that a certain governor was denied it. . . . (Noli,chapters 4 and 13). . . sermons that rarely lack gross allusions to the listeners and at times theauthorities . (Noli, chapter 32)The above are more than enough to show that both writers have beenconcerned with the problems of the Philippines and have written in a verysimilar style. Sometimes, they use identical words. For example:Catiamaque. . . the friar is Pope-King.161[Fray Agustin] was the king,Pope, and Lord of this corner ofthe Philippines . .ftoNoliThe priest [of San Diego ] wasthe Pope in the Vatican, officer ofthe Civil Guard, the King of Italyin the Quirinal • • (Noli. 56)97