De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde

School of Multidisciplinary Studies

JORIZAL

A Comparative Essay of Jose Rizal to Dark Tourism and to Don Quixote de La Mancha

Mikaella Mendoza, 2019

DFM8

To learn people’s way of life in different places in pursuit of a sense of purpose and beauty may be fun,
but to experience first-hand their living situations may sometimes be the opposite. In Jose Rizal’s secret mission,
he has gained understanding and experience about the life in European countries, but not everyone had the
same perceptions. In this essay, I will discuss the comparison of Jose Rizal’s perspective in his secret mission
journey to the present-day Dark Tourism and to Don Quixote de La Mancha.

Don Quixote and Jose Rizal both long for a sense of purpose and beauty-two things they believe their
world lacks. Since the Philippines was under the Spanish tyranny, Rizal seeks to liberate Filipinos from it
through writing. However, for Don Quixote, he hopes to bring order to his world by reviving the chivalric
code of the knights-errant. Despite his good intentions, he is unable to distinguish what is reality and not.
Therefore, he harms anyone he meets. Don Quixote is completely a madman and Jose Rizal may look one
before in his siblings. In one of Rizal family’s anecdotes, he was teased by his sisters as a braggart when he was
molding a figurine when he was a kid, so he proclaimed to them that people will make statues of him in the
future. [1] [2] Which proves that when a person has confidence in something consistently, he tends to believe it
more. [3] This effect manifests in Rizal and Don Quixote wherein they repeatedly proclaim they are meant to
serve their believed purpose in life.

In pursuit of Rizal’s purpose, his impressionist self is like how dark tourists engage themselves in their
journeys. They determine the cultural indifferences, apply principles they grew up thinking is appropriate, keenly
observe them, and respect them. While the biggest similarity of Jose Rizal to Dark Tourism and Don Quixote
is that they all travel to pursue their mission. Dark tourists learn and experience dangerous lifestyles to bring
history alive and to honor victims who could have been any one of us. Then, Don Quixote travels towns to
keep his dream going as a knight. While Rizal’s secret mission is to do the same things, learn and experience
the way of life in European nations and continue travelling, but his reasons are to get away from discrimination
in UST, cure his mother’s eyes, and find a way to bring change in his country. [4]
 In summary, Jose Rizal and Don Quixote longs for a sense of purpose and beauty, becomes the
madmen of their own terms, and they believe in their dreams. While Rizal’s perspective during his travels are
similar to how dark tourists perceive theirs, impressionistic. And all their travels have objectives to meet which
are: dark tourists seek learnings and experience for revival and honor; Don Quixote continue his quest as a
knight to fulfill his dream [5]; and Jose Rizal to do the same things to mainly liberate Filipinos.

References:

[1] Roda, R. (2016, December 26). Monuments and memorials to Jose Rizal around the world. Retrieved from
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/248798/monuments-memorials-jose-rizal-around-world/

[2] Paraiso, B. (2011, June 26). A monument to Rizal's patriotism. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/other-sections/starweek-magazine/2011/06/26/699701/monument-rizals-
patriotism

[3] Moore, A. (2018, May 15). What you truly believe about yourself determines who you become. Retrieved
from https://medium.com/the-mission/what-you-truly-believe-about-yourself-determines-who-you-
become-dbc1b4d13609

[4] San Andres, T., Tica-a, P., Tigno, M., Mede, J., Cruz, T. & Lim, F. (2008). Jose Rizal Bayani ng Lahi. Bulacan,
Philippines: St. Andrew-Publishing House

[5] Cribbs, N. (2013, May 2). Imagination and importance of dreams in Don Quixote. Retrieved from
https://natashacribbs.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/imagination-and-importance-of-dreams-in-don-
quixote/