Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Noli Me Tangere: Summary and Analysis of Chapter 57 (Vae Victis)

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Summary:
Tarsilo and Andong are persecuted.  Of all the men who attacked the barracks, they were the only ones who made it alive.  Tarsilo declares that he had not once spoken to Crisostomo Ibarra.  The only reason he joined the attack was to avenge his father's death.  Tarsilo is tortured.  After Tarsilo dies without confessing anything of use, Andong is questioned.  Andong is terrified of his companion's fate, and says that he will speak.  The reason, he admits, why he was there by the barracks was because his in-laws gave him only rotten food and nothing decent to eat.

Points of Note:
In this chapter Rizal shows the heroic acts of one Tarsilo, a man who knows how to fight and die with honor.

It is helpful to remember what Friar Salvi says: "I do not wish to face them yet... I am not well" in trial when he stands opposite the men arrested.

Friar Salvi is included in the trial because during that time, the church and the state were linked.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: Is it true that Tarsilo had never spoken to Ibarra?
Answer: Yes, it is.  However he had already sensed that Ibarra was behind the rebellion, because that was what he was told by Lucas.  But he died not admitting Ibarra's connection to the attack.

Question: How many men died who were part of the uprising?
Answer: Five: Pedro (Sisa's husband), Bruno (Tarsilo's brother), Lucas, and two other men.

Question: In spite of the beatings he received under the hands of the civil guards, how does Tarsilo show that he still trusts his fellowmen?
Answer: He entrusts his sister to a kwadrilyero (policeman).

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