El Filibusterismo (El Fili) – Chapter 17
Chapter Title: The Quiapo Fair
Setting: Saturday evening, Quiapo square
Characters:
- Padre Camorra
- Ben Zayb
- Paulita Gomez
- Isagani
- Dona Victorina
- Juanito Pelaez
- Don Custodio
- Padre Irene
- Padre Salvi
- Simoun (mentioned)
- Mr. Leeds (mentioned)
Plot:
The friars, together with Ben Zayb and Don Custodio, go to the Quiapo fair.
Chapter Summary:
Camorra admires the pretty girls and regrets not being a parish priest of Quiapo. He sees someone so beautiful that he pinches Ben Zayb;s arm by accident. The person turns out to be Paulita Gomez, who is accompanied by Isagani and Dona Victorina.
Many people stop to stare at Paulita Gomez. Isagani is upset by all the attention she is getting. Juanito Pelaez greets them. Dona Victorina calls him over because she secretly prefers Juanito Pelaez to Isagani.
The group sees a booth selling all sorts of statues of different races and professions. The friar ones have been made with care and are portrayed as gentle, well-attired and intelligent, unlike those in Spain which are depicted as “symbols of gluttony and incontinence”.
Ben Zayb points out a statue of a thin friar sitting at a desk writing a sermon, saying it is Padre Camorra. Everyone laughs because it looks nothing like him. Padre Camorra points at a statue of a one-eyed old woman squatting on the floor and ironing clothes. Ben Zayb is confused until Camorra points out the label “The Philippine Press”, referring to the iron that the old woman is using. Everyone laughs.
Everyone starts arguing about the aesthetics and proportions of the art, and whether the Indio can be talented at sculpture, and whether Indios should be discouraged from trying to be artists. Don Custodio says that Indios have the right attitude but should be carving saints.
They notice that the Chinese statue looks more like Padre Irene and that the British Indian looks like Simoun. But Simoun has disappeared, and Padre Camorra thinks it’s because he doesn’t want to pay for everyone. Ben Zayb says he is afraid of his friend Mr. Leeds being humiliated.
Ben Zayb explains that it is all just an illusion caused by mirrors.
Trivia:
- Padre Salvi is said to have gone with the group of friars to the Quiapo fair but he does not speak in this chapter.
Quotes:
Padre Camorra was in seventh heaven, seeing so many pretty maidens.
Instead of the mendicant friar going from door to door with his donkey and his sack begging for alms, the friar of the Philippines poured from his full hands, gold among the impoverished Indios…
