Name: Juanito Pelaez
Sex: M
Race: Indio (with Spanish blood)
Occupation: Student of UST
Affiliations: Students’ Association, University of Santo Tomas
Background
Juanito Pelaez is said to have been born an Indio with mestizo blood. The identity and whereabouts of his mother are unknown as she is not mentioned. It is suggested that his Spanish blood was passed down from his father, Don Timoteo Pelaez. Don Timoteo Pelaez is widely known in Manila, showing that Juanito Pelaez’s family has probably lived there for some time as that is where their business is based. Don Timoteo Pelaez runs a very successful store that provides, among many products, construction supplies.
Juanito Pelaez was a prankster as a child and would often trick people, then hide behind others. As a result, him crouching by hiding so often caused him to always look like he has a hump on his back. Juanito Pelaez is currently a student in UST.
Story
Chapter 12: Juanito Pelaez is first seen at the gate of Sto. Domingo, greeting Placido Penitente when he arrives. After asking how Placido Penitente is doing, Juanito Pelaez tells him how he was invited to Tiani by Padre Camorra, where they serenaded girls at houses. One of the girls was Juli, whom Juanito Pelaez criticizes for being poor, not knowing Spanish and being ‘unsociable’.
Juanito Pelaez then asks Placido Penitente what happened in class from Monday to Friday. When Placido Penitente tries to show him the lesson in Physics of Ramos, Juanito Pelaez simply slaps it out of the way and says they should have a dia pichido. Placido Penitente calls Juanito Pelaez stupid.
As they make their way to their classroom, Juanito Pelaez asks Placido Penitente for a contribution to the monument of Padre Baltazar. He also tries to collect money for the birthday of their professor of natural history. Later, when Dona Victorina and Paulita Gomez arrive, Juanito Pelaez takes off his hat and bows. Dona Victorina smiles at Juanito Pelaez.
Chapter 13: Juanito Pelaez attends Physics class, taught by Padre Millon. He makes the class laugh by commenting that Camagong is a mirror of wood. Juanito Pelaez later tries to answer Padre Millon’s question for the fat student instead, answering that if quicksilver is removed from a mirror and bibingka is put on it instead, then you have bibingka.
When Padre Millon asks Juanito Pelaez the question again, Juanito Pelaez nudges Placido Penitente for answers. Padre Millon asks if the polished surface is the mirror, and Juanito Pelaez says no. Padre Millon asks him to clarify: does what is behind have an influence over what is in front? Juanito Pelaez says no. Padre Millon asks again and Juanito Pelaez steps on Placido’s foot. Placido Penitente calls Juanito Pelaez an idiot, and he is forced to recite instead. Later, Padre Millon scolds Placido Penitente for not studying yet trying to coach Juanito Pelaez, which makes the class laugh.
Chapter 14: Juanito Pelaez is present at Macaraig’s house and, along with other students, discusses the petition for the Academy for Spanish. Juanito Pelaez volunteers to meet with Pepay (as they are friends) so she can help convince Don Custodio to approve it. But the students decide to let Isagani talk to Senor Pasta instead.
Chapter 16: Juanito Pelaez claims to have seen the Sphinx at the Quiapo Fair. He accompanies Don Custodio, Padre Salvi, Padre Camorra, Padre Irene and Ben Zayb to Quiapo square.
Chapter 17: While at Quiapo Square, Juanito Pelaez bumps into Isagani, Paulita Gomez and Dona Victorina. He greets them, and Dona Victorina calls him over, knowing she prefers him over Isagani.
Chapter 19: Juanito Pelaez is spotted with Dona Victorina, Paulita Gomez and Isagani, by Placido Penitente and Simoun. Placido Penitente notices that “he” seems happy, while Simoun says “He only serves for that, it’s nice to be young”. It is not specified whether Placido Penitente and Simoun are referring to Isagani or Juanito Pelaez either or both times.
Chapter 21: While waiting outside the theater before the play starts, Tadeo notices Juanito Pelaez with Paulita Gomez, her friend and Dona Victorina. It is revealed that Juanito Pelaez got them a box at the theater.
Chapter 22: As Isagani watches the play, he sees Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez sharing a box, and gets jealous. Isagani wonders if he should challenge Juanito Pelaez to a duel. Later, Juanito Pelaez shushes a woman and her husband who arrived late. It is stated that Juanito Pelaez is only pretending to understand the play. He talks to Dona Victorina all throughout, and she compliments him.
During the second act, Paulita Gomez asks Juanito Pelaez the difference between servantes and domestiques. He incorrectly says that domestiques are domesticated while servantes are savages. Dona Victorina agrees with him, but his error is exposed when the servants for hire stand in the servantes area and the rough-looking characters stand with the domestiques. Paulita Gomez asks why they did that and Juanito Pelaez said they made a mistake. Paulita Gomez asks him if the girls are meant to be cochers. Juanito Pelaez just coughs and Don Custodio shushes him from several seats away. Dona Victorina decides to marry Juanito Pelaez the moment Don Tiburcio passes away.
Chapter 24: When Isagani meets with Paulita Gomez and Dona Victorina, Dona Victorina asks about Juanito Pelaez and Isagani praises him. This pleases Dona Victorina. Isagani has a private talk with Paulita Gomez and expresses his jealousy toward Juanito Pelaez, but Paulita Gomez just scoffs and says that Dona Victorina is the one in love with him. This brightens the mood between Paulita Gomez and Isagani and makes them laugh.
Chapter 25: Juanito Pelaez is absent from the students’ dinner. The students call him unreliable.
Chapter 26: Basilio bumps into Juanito Pelaez the day after the poster incident. He asks what happened, but Juanito Pelaez looks worried and just tells Basilio to be his witness and say that he was never involved with the Association. Juanito Pelaez runs away when he sees a guard approaching.
Chapter 32: Juanito Pelaez is suspended due to the poster incident. His is said to be sad at first, but ends up running his father’s store. Eventually he recovers and is seen smiling again. Weeks later, there are rumors that Juanito Pelaez will marry Paulita Gomez. Paulita Gomez reveals that she has fallen out of love for Isagani and now prefers Juanito Pelaez because he is smart, the son of a rich merchant and is a Spanish mestizo.
Juanito Pelaez’s wedding to Paulita Gomez is scheduled at the end of April, and Don Timoteo Pelaez plans to throw a fiesta. Simoun arranged for Capitan General to be a godfather and sponsor. Everyone wants to attend the wedding festivities so people in town buy iron and zinc sheets from Don Timoteo Pelaez, hoping to be invited.
Chapter 34: While walking on the streets, Basilio sees Juanito Pelaez and Paulita Gomez inside a carriage, having just gotten married and on their way to the fiesta at Capitan Tiago’s house. While watching them, Basilio feels bitter that he also could have been married if not for his arrest.
Chapter 35: Juanito Pelaez and Paulita Gomez arrive at Capitan Tiago’s house as bride and groom, together with Dona Victorina. They are seen by Ben Zayb (who compares them to ‘Cupid and Psyche’ in Greek mythology) as they celebrate their wedding reception.
Chapter 37: Senor Pasta and the Orenda family speculate who could have been involved with the bomb plot. Senor Pasta thinks there could have been more than one person (other than Simoun) and it may have been an enemy of Don Timoteo Pelaez or a rival of Juanito Pelaez. Everyone looks at Isagani.
Physical Description
Juanito Pelaez is recognizable among other students because of the rounded hump on his back due to his bad posture. It is mentioned that he grew it from always playing dirty tricks on people and then crouching behind his companions (Chapter 12). He is described as having a “roguish look and the smile of a clown”, to the point that the few times he is not smiling (like when he is suspended from school), it is immediately mentioned.
During his wedding, Juanito Pelaez wears a frock coat and is again described with a “roguish look” and looking like the god of love, according to Ben Zayb (Chapter 35). However, his hump is still visible.
Personality
Juanito Pelaez is the class clown of UST, referred to as a ‘barbero’ (favorite of the professors) because of his joking nature and friendly attitude toward everyone. He is said to be “crafty and ill-mannered as could be” (Chapter 12) and loves to prank people. Apart from making fun of his classmates he also doesn’t mind insulting himself and calling himself stupid.
He can be self-centered as he often talks about himself, as seen in Chapter 12 when he asks Placido Penitente how he is and ignores his response to talk about his own vacation in the province. In a different scene after the poster incident (Chapter 26), Juanito Pelaez is only concerned about proving that he is innocent. He tells Basilio that he had nothing to do with the Students’ Association, even though that is false. Other students do not have a high opinion of him as they consider him “unreliable” for not showing up to meetings (Chapter 25), and he also has a history of skipping classes (Chapter 12).
Still, Juanito Pelaez’s efforts at self-preservation are eventually seen as shrewd and clever by Paulita Gomez in later chapters (Chapter 32).
Skills
Wit
“To be able to live in Manila there was no one like [Juanito] Pelaez, who since childhood had had at his fingertips the grammar of survival.” (Chapter 32)
Juanito Pelaez is fond of talking and will often take over the conversation with whoever he is talking to. He jokes around frequently, causing those around him to never take him seriously. Despite being teased often by his friends and teachers, Juanito Pelaez does not appear to mind and will even make fun of himself. He does not react badly when insulted, instead making more funny comments to lighten the mood. It is for that reason that many of the older characters, especially his professors, find Juanito Pelaez to be very likable.
Relationships
See Relationships of Juanito Pelaez
Beliefs
On Hispanization
Juanito Pelaez’s personal views toward Hispanization are never stated, but he is shown to be a member of the Students’ Association and even offers to help tell Pepay to convince Don Custodio to approve the petition for the Academy for Spanish. However, he does not join the students as they bitterly celebrate the results of the petition. When Juanito Pelaez is about to be arrested after the poster incident, he insists to Basilio that he was never involved with the project, even though that is untrue.
Trivia
- In every scene wherein Isagani and Paulita Gomez interact, Juanito Pelaez is present or mentioned.
Quotes
“How stupid I am! Do you know, I am turning stupid?” (to Placido Penitente, Chapter 12)
