Name: Juliana (“Juli”)
Sex: F
Race: Indio
Occupation: maid
Aliases:
Affiliations:
Background
Juli was born and raised in San Diego along with two older siblings (Lucia and Tano), by her father Telesforo (Tales) and his wife (unnamed). After Juli’s father became a farmer and maintained his own lands, Juli’s older sister and mother eventually died from illness. As Juli grew up, Tales became more successful and eventually the family moved to Sagpang barrio. Tales promised Juli that she would go to school, but became too busy to do so. Juli got sick but managed to recover. While living in Sagpang barrio, Juli met Basilio and the two started dating.
At the beginning of El Filibusterismo (El Fili), Tales has been kidnapped by tulisanes, Juli and her grandfather Tandange Selo have been ordered by the tulisanes to pay a ransom of 500 pesos in order for Tales to be set free.
Story
Chapter 4: Juli is first introduced as the youngest daughter of Telesforo (“Cabesang Tales”). She moves with her family to the house Cabesang Tales built in Sagpang and Cabesang Tales promises to send Juli to school. However, the friars keep raising the rent of the house. The rent gets more and more expensive until Tales can no longer pay. Because of that, Juli never gets to go to school. Cabesang Tales refuses to give up his land to the friars and Juli gets sick.
Cabesang Tales patrols the lands and gets taken hostage by the tulisanes. They ask for a 500 peso ransom and Juli only has 200 pesos in savings. She asks help from Sister Bali. Juli sells all her jewels (except the locket from Basilio) and earns 50 pesos.
One day before the due date of Cabesang Tales’ ransom, Juli borrows the rest of the money from Sister Penchang, who becomes Juli’s new employer and mistress. Juli is scheduled to start her service on Christmas Day. Tandang Selo, Juli’s grandfather, is upset by her choice, but Juli tells him it was necessary. Juli spends her last night of freedom crying and thinking of Basilio, who probably cannot marry her now that she is poor.
Juli has a dream wherein she is bathing in a stream with her siblings. She sees Basilio under the water, but he has the face of her brother Tano. Sister Penchang is watching them from the riverbank.
Chapter 8: Juli wakes up before dawn and does her chores. She promises herself to visit the house every two days. She kisses her locket (and wipes it because it came from a leper) and then kisses her Tandang Selo’s hand. She tells him to tell Cabesang Tales that she is finally going to school, since Sister Penchang speaks Spanish. Juli leaves the house and cries by the road.
Chapter 9: Juli is seen serving Sister Penchang, who sees Juli as a sinner because she does not pray. Sister Penchang does not allow Juli to visit Tandang Selo, and instead makes her work and pray. Sister Penchang hears that Basilio went to Manila to get his savings so he can free Juli.
Sister Penchang forces Juli to reread the booklet of tandang Basio Macunat, then see the priest at the convent.
Cabesang Tales returns later and finds out that Tandang Selo is mute and that Juli is now a maid. There is an order to leave their house in three days. This shocks Cabesang Tales, who just sits down beside without speaking.
Chapter 10: Juli is mentioned in the chapter by Sister Penchang, who left her at home to read a booklet that was sold by priests. Sister Penchang tells Capitana Tika that nothing sticks to Juli’s memory.
Later, the locket given to Juli by Basilio is mentioned by Sinang. Simoun offers to buy it from Cabesang Tales for 500 pesos. It is revealed that Sister Penchang wants Cabesang Tales to refuse so that she can keep Juli, so she tells Cabesang Tales that Juli did not want to give up the locket.
The next day, Cabesang Tales leaves Simoun the locket.
Chapter 11: Juli is not mentioned by name, but referred to as the “daughter of Cabesang Tales”. The secretary mentions that she is asking for Tandang Selo to be freed. Capitan General is irritated, but Padre Camorra says he came to support the appeal of Juli.
Capitan General tells the secretary to notify the teniente of the guardia civil that Tandang Selo be released, to show that they are forgiving and compassionate.
Chapter 12: Juli is not mentioned by name, but Juanito Pelaez tells Placido Penitente about the “sweetheart of Basilio”. Juanito Pelaez tells Placido Penitente that when he went to Tiani with Padre Camorra, Padre Camorra tackled two people who were serenading Juli. Juanito Pelaez insults Juli, saying she does not know Spanish, has no money, is a maid and is “unsociable”.
Chapter 26: Juli is mentioned in the beginning of the chapter when Basilio plans to talk to Macaraig to ask if he can borrow money. It is revealed that Basilio used up all his savings to free Juli from being a maid.
Chapter 30: There are rumors in San Diego that Basilio has been left in prison because the friars are getting revenge for him freeing Juli. Sister Penchang freed Juli to not upset the friars, but did not want to because Juli prayed and fasted on her orders.
Sister Bali goes to Juli’s house and tells her that Basilio is in prison. At first, Juli thinks she’s joking. Then, she faints. When she wakes up, she cries and decides it’s her turn to rescue Basilio.
Juli is afraid to go to Padre Camorra for help because he helped free Tandang Selo but asked for “sacrifices” from Juli. Juli remembers how Padre Camorra pinches her and makes her kiss his hand. Everyone in town knows that Cabesang Tales would be pardoned if Juli asked for Padre Camorra’s help.
Juli becomes quiet, sad and afraid. It is mentioned that she asked Sister Bali before if people who committed suicide went to hell.
Sister Bali helps Juli ask a clerk for suggestions, so Juli gives the clerk 4 reales and deer meat. The clerk tells Juli to see the Justice of Peace (Juez de Paz), who says that only Padre Camorra can help Juli.
Juli is afraid to go to Padre Camorra but Sister Bali says she will accompany her. Juli asks Sister Bali to go instead but the Justice of Peace (Juez de Paz) says Padre Camorra prefers a younger face. Juli decides not to go, because she did not do the same to have her father pardoned and believes she should not do that to save Basilio.
Juli’s relatives laugh at her, believing that Padre Camorra has better options and would not do anything to her. Juli has a nightmare of Cabesang Tales being shot and transforming into Basilio. When there are rumors of shootings the next day, Juli decides to go to the convent the next day, and then kill herself afterward.
Juli changes her mind the next morning and does not go to the convent for several days, thinking there will be a miracle. But Basilio is still imprisoned and she keeps having nightmares of Cabesang Tales and Basilio dying.
A traveler from Manila explains that Basilio is going to be exiled to the Carolines so Juli finds Sister Bali and says she is ready. Juli appears to be in a good mood while going to the convent with Sister Bali, but soon becomes quiet and starts shaking. Juli wants to go home but Sister Bali tries to convince her, saying Basilio will be exiled and shot. Juli enters the convent. At night there are reports that a woman (Juli) leapt from the convent and died, while another (Sister Bali) ran out screaming. Because of this, many government officials and priests gather at the convent and Tandang Selo goes missing.
Chapter 32: The cochero Sinong visits Basilio in Bilibid prison and notifies him of Juli’s death.
Chapter 34: Basilio thinks of Juli being dead, and how he would be married to her if he hadn’t been arrested. The thought of Juli’s body makes him feel angry.
Physical Description
Juli is described as “the most beautiful in the barrio and perhaps in the town too” (Chapter 4). She has unusually fair skin for an Indio, and because of that, it is said she is not allowed to walk under the sun so as to not burn her complexion.
Personality
Juli is very quiet and reserved, with simple desires like going to school, keeping her family safe and marrying Basilio. She is caring towards her loved ones and polite to anyone she speaks to, but only shows her feelings around people she knows very well. Because of that, she is described by Juanito Pelaez as “unsociable”. Before the incidents of El Filibusterismo (El Fili), she was said to be “trim and composed” (Chapter 30). She can be naïve, and due to her lack of education she does not know how to speak Spanish, and does not seem to know much about Catholicism.
“Juli had changed greatly. She had lost her gaiety; no one now saw her smile. She scarcely spoke, and seemed afraid to even look at her own face.” (Chapter 30)
Throughout the book, Juli shows signs of depression due to the bad events that happen to her family members and Basilio. She cries often and has nightmares, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. In Chapter 30, she makes plans to kill herself after seeing Padre Camorra, and by the end of the chapter, her plans have pushed through.
Skills
Selflessness
Juli is very self-sacrificing, willing to give up her possessions, her future and her body just to save her loved ones. She raises money to free her father Cabesang Tales by becoming Sister Penchang’s maid (Chapter 4), appeals to Capitan General to have her grandfather Tandang Selo released (Chapter 11) and later on goes to see Padre Camorra to ask for help in freeing Basilio (Chapter 30) even though she knows that Padre Camorra is going to abuse her. Throughout El Filibusterismo (El Fili), everything she does is to rescue her loved ones even if it means putting herself in danger.
Relationships
Beliefs
On Religion
Juli is a Catholic like most Indios, but her knowledge on the practices is limited. She is never seen going to mass and according to Sister Penchang, does not pray (Chapter 9). Many of the tasks Juli does as a maid involve praying, fasting and reading religious books but Sister Penchang criticizes her for not remembering them. Despite Juli’s lack of religious habits, she apparently believes in the concept of hell since she asks Sister Bali if people who kill themselves go there (Chapter 30). She is told yes, but Juli still kills herself at the end of the chapter.
Trivia
