Summary
Quiroga is a Chinese merchant who hopes to create a Chinese consulate in the Philippines. He hosts a dinner for the powerful, many of whom are his customers. Simoun is at the dinner; it is rumored that he supports Quiroga’s cause because he believes the Captain General can use the Chinese to humble Filipinos. Quiroga and Simoun discuss business and Simoun arranges for Quiroga to help him bring boxes of rifles into the country. Simoun claims they will be planted in people’s homes providing an excuse to arrest them. Simoun and Quiroga will then be able to earn money by freeing these people from prison. Other guests are wrapped up in a discussion about whether the government should provide shoes for Filipino soldiers. Some Spanish widows believe the money should go to increasing their pensions. Even though Filipino soldiers are dying from lack of proper footwear, one widow flippantly mentions, “why issue them shoes when they were born without them?”
Talk shifts to the Quiapo fair being held in Manila where an American man, Mr. Leeds, claims to be exhibiting a sphinx head. The friars believe the act is immoral while Ben-Zayb is convinced Mr. Leeds uses mirrors to fool the public. Simoun suggests they should examine the exhibit for themselves to decide. The fair is chaotic and colorful. Padre Camorra is distracted by all the beautiful women, particularly by Paulita Gomez. Mr. Leeds's tent is decorated to lend an air of mystery. Ben-Zayb is eager to prove his cleverness, but after examining the exhibit is shocked to find no hidden mirrors. Mr. Leeds provides the group with a private showing; he claims to have found a box with ashes and words on a piece of parchment in a pyramid in Egypt. Mr. Leeds claims that this box holds the secret “of creation and destruction, of life and of death.” The friars, who so often scare their parishioners with gruesome descriptions of hell, are taken aback and cautious.
Mr. Leeds utters a word and a cadaver-like head appears out of the ashes in the box. Seeing the head, even the most skeptical of them feel chills and becomes wrapped up in the sphinx's story. The sphinx tells the story of its life in ancient Egypt: of falling in love with the daughter of a priest and how another corrupt priest framed the sphinx with a plot of rebellion in order to pursue the woman himself. Everyone is entranced but Padre Salvi is sweating and trembling. When the sphinx calls this ancient priest a murderer, hypocrite, and liar Padre Salvi shouts “No, Mercy, she still lives!” before fainting. His companions try to revive him; they agree that the show is immoral and must be prohibited. However, soon after, Mr. Leeds disappears to Hong Kong.
After walking out of his class, Placido walks the streets of Manila bitter and sullen. The accumulation of all the humiliations Placido has suffered the past few months grows into a rage and a desire to defend his worth. He is surprised to find his mother, Cabesang Andang, waiting for him at his boarding house. She's upset when she finds out what Placido has done and reminds him of all the sacrifices she had to make to pay for his schooling. Andang lectures her son on the importance of being patient and humble. She suggests they ask the friars for forgiveness to get Placido back into the university. Unwilling to listen to his mother's reproach, Placido heads back into the streets where he runs into Simoun. Placido entreats Simoun to help him get to Hong Kong where he can start a new life. Instead, Simoun takes Placido through the labyrinth of the city.
They reach a ramshackle house where Simoun speaks to a Filipino man about an upcoming attack they are planning involving gunpowder and bombs. Simoun mentions that Tales and his band of tulisanes will be involved. Simoun is in a rush to initiate their attack the following week in order to save Maria Clara who is sick. Placido listens on; he hears snippets but is unclear about the full plan. Simoun heads home, where he takes off his disguise: his white wig and blue goggles. He prays aloud for Maria Clara to hold on until he frees her and they can be reunited. Simoun vows to cleanse the Philippines of filth with his avenging masses; however, in a crisis of conscience, he begins to wonder if he too has become as tainted as the Spanish he hopes to oust. Simoun is haunted by the ghosts of those he has harmed in an effort to achieve his goal. But justifies his actions by the righteousness of his cause, before falling into a fevered sleep.
Rizal goes into detail about Don Custodio’s life. Don Custodio arrived from Spain to the Philippines as a young man and quickly rose through the ranks of government. His marriage to a wealthy mestiza woman provided him with money to fill government contracts. Don Custodio is well respected. Unlike many of his rank, he takes seriously the numerous government offices he holds. However, on a trip to Spain for his health, Don Custodio faced a rude awakening when he realized how insignificant he was back in Spain. After a year, Don Custodio returned to the Philippines, where he prefers the adoration and subservience he receives there. Don Custodio considers himself a father and defender of Filipinos, as long as they stay docile. As part of maintaining order in the colony, Filipinos must believe in their own incompetence and not become prideful. Although not particularly religious himself, Don Custodio views the Catholic Church as a humane way of maintaining control over Filipinos. Don Custodio has been tasked with deciding the case of the Spanish school. He spends two weeks pondering the issue before reaching a decision.
All of Manila is buzzing with the arrival of a French opera company’s upcoming show. Their arrival created a citywide debate over the morality of French opera, and the controversy added to people’s interest in the show. All of high society is present on opening night. A man named Camaroncocido is in the crowd. Although he comes from a prominent Spanish family, he now lives on the street and dresses in ragged clothes. As people enter the theater, Camaroncocido notices a group of unfamiliar faces in the crowd who seem to be acting uneasily and subtly signaling to one another. An officer speaks to a few of these groups before talking to Simoun who is sitting in a carriage; Camaroncocido overhears the words “the signal will be a gunshot!”
Isagani is at the theater with Sandoval and others from the student association. Isagani feels resentful and jealous because Paulita is attending the opera with Juanito. Juanito passes the show trying to impress Paulita with his limited knowledge of French. Meanwhile, Paulita is on edge wondering if Isagani will fall in love with any of the alluring actresses on stage. Ben-Zayb is there to write a review of the show. The only box that remains empty is Simoun’s. During intermission, Makaraig informs his friends that a decision has been reached about their petition. A Spanish school will be opened, however, the Spanish clergy will be in charge of running it. The students’ only involvement will be to collect dues. The students are deeply disappointed. Rather than watch the rest of the opera, they decide to “celebrate” the decision at a local Chinese restaurant.
Analysis
The conversation about footwear for the army displays the callous attitude so many Spanish and mestizo people in the novel hold toward Filipinos. Anything the government provides for Filipinos is grudgingly given and seen as taking away from Spanish citizens. The Spanish widows are resentful of this money, valuing their own comfort and social standing over Filipino lives.
Even Don Custodio, who has a seemingly more liberal attitude toward Filipinos, has a deep-seated belief in white supremacy. He completely negates the possibility that Filipinos could have intellectual endowments of their own and attributes any excellence they demonstrate to the presence of Spanish blood. He supports using the church to instill submission and dependence into Filipinos. The contrast between Don Custodio’s life in the Philippines and Spain explains why the Spanish are so invested in maintaining colonial rule: they all actively benefit from the servitude, deference, and wealth Filipinos provide them.
Simoun makes a concerted effort to find Filipinos who are discontent with the status quo, and willing to do something about it, and incorporate them into his plans. Placido finds himself joining those ranks. Placido’s name is significant: it means to be calm or even-tempered, just as the Filipinos are socialized to be under colonial rule. Placido’s rejection of this passivity is symbolic of broader discontent brewing in the country. Simoun actively seeks to foment this discontent, hoping it will lead to a broader consciousness-raising. Rizal reveals a rough outline of Simoun’s plan: bringing rifles into the country, coordinating with Tales and the tulisanes and groups of suspicious people gathering before the opera. These clues Rizal reveals add to a growing sense of expectation and increase the tension in the novel.
Simoun is a character who is preoccupied with the liberation of the Philippines. However, his motivation is not purely political, but personal as well. Simoun has come back for revenge. Padre Silva correctly interprets the story of the sphinx as a condemnation of his own actions against Ibarra and Maria Clara. Despite being shrouded in ancient mystery, the sphinx’s story is an exact parallel to what happened to Ibarra in Noli Me Tangere. Mr. Leeds' claim takes on added significance given that everyone believes Ibarra is dead: like the sphinx, Ibarra has come back from the ashes under a new identity, Simoun. Overcome in his terror, Padre Silva inadvertently admits to his culpability by screaming that he is not a murderer and that she (Maria Clara) is still alive. Only the reader understands Padre Silva’s reaction; the other characters believe he was merely overcome by the show.
However, Ibarra/Simoun's change in identity has cost him. Simoun converts himself into a man without conscience or faith and uses corruption and bribery to bring himself closer to his goals. Just as his plans are about to come to fruition, Simoun is attacked by doubts. Ibarra was noble, respected, and advocated nonviolence. Now Simoun fully commits himself to promoting violence and cruelty, believing it is the only way to achieve independence for the Philippines.
