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CHAPTER XL Right and Might Ten o'clock at night: the last rockets rose lazily in the dark sky where a few paper balloons recently inflated with smoke and hot air still glimmered like new stars. Some of those adorned with fireworks took fire, threatening all the houses, so there might be seen on the ridges of the roofs men armed with pails of water and long poles with pieces of cloth on the ends. Their black silhouettes stood out in the vague clearness of the air like phantoms that had descended from space to witness the rejoicings of men. Many pieces of fireworks of fantastic shapes--wheels, castles, bulls, carabaos--had been set off, surpassing in beauty and grandeur anything ever before seen by the inhabitants of San Diego. Now the people were moving in crowds toward the plaza to attend the theater for the last time, Here and there might be seen Bengal lights fantastically illuminating the merry groups while the boys were availing themselves of torches to hunt in the grass for unexploded bombs and other remnants that could still be used. But soon the music gave the signal and all abandoned the open places. The great stage was brilliantly illuminated. Thousands of lights surrounded the posts, hung from the roof, or sowed the floor with pyramidal clusters. An alguazil was looking after these, and when he came forward to attend to them the crowd shouted at him and whistled, "There he is! there he is!" In front of the...
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Summary
The town's festival celebration turns into a stark display of power and corruption when the Civil Guard disrupts the theatrical performance on flimsy pretenses. Don Filipo, the deputy mayor, finds himself caught between doing what's right and maintaining peace when Padre Salvi demands that Ibarra be expelled from the theater. Despite pressure from the priest, Filipo refuses to remove Ibarra, who has every legal right to be there as a taxpayer and citizen. The situation escalates when soldiers arrive to shut down the performance, claiming the alferez and his wife can't sleep—a transparent abuse of power. When Filipo stands his ground, citing proper legal authority, the guards attack the musicians with clubs, creating chaos and terror among the townspeople. The incident reveals how colonial authority operates: through intimidation, selective enforcement, and the weaponization of religious and civil power against ordinary citizens. Ibarra finds himself increasingly isolated as people fear association with someone the church has marked as dangerous. Meanwhile, Padre Salvi's obsession with Maria Clara drives him to rush to the scene, not out of pastoral concern but from jealous paranoia. The chapter ends with bitter irony as a newspaper correspondent writes a glowing account of Salvi's 'heroic' intervention—a complete fabrication that shows how propaganda shapes public perception. This incident crystallizes the novel's central theme: the collision between justice and corrupt authority, and how ordinary people suffer when institutions serve personal interests rather than the common good.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Alguazil
A low-ranking Spanish colonial official who handled minor administrative tasks and public order. These men had little real power but could make life difficult for ordinary people through petty harassment and selective enforcement of rules.
Modern Usage:
Like security guards or parking enforcement officers who sometimes abuse their limited authority to feel important.
Civil Guard
Spanish colonial military police force that maintained order in the Philippines. They were known for brutal tactics and served the interests of Spanish authorities rather than protecting local communities.
Modern Usage:
Similar to militarized police forces that prioritize control over community safety.
Selective enforcement
When authorities apply rules inconsistently, targeting certain people while ignoring the same behavior in others. This creates fear and demonstrates that law serves power, not justice.
Modern Usage:
Like when traffic cops only pull over certain types of cars, or when workplace rules only apply to some employees.
Propaganda
Information deliberately spread to promote a particular political cause or point of view, often distorting or completely fabricating events. The newspaper account of Padre Salvi's 'heroism' is pure propaganda.
Modern Usage:
Like biased news coverage that spins events to support a particular narrative or political agenda.
Abuse of power
When someone in authority uses their position for personal benefit or to harm others, rather than serving their proper role. The guards shutting down the play for fake reasons is a classic example.
Modern Usage:
Like bosses who fire employees for personal grudges, or officials who use their position to settle scores.
Social isolation
When someone becomes cut off from their community due to fear, stigma, or pressure from authorities. People avoid Ibarra because associating with him seems dangerous.
Modern Usage:
Like how people distance themselves from coworkers who've been targeted by management, or avoid friends who've become controversial.
Characters in This Chapter
Don Filipo
Deputy mayor caught between duty and pressure
He tries to do the right thing by refusing to remove Ibarra without proper legal cause, but faces intimidation from both religious and military authorities. His position shows how decent people in middle management get crushed between corrupt superiors and their own conscience.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager who won't fire someone without cause, even when the boss demands it
Padre Salvi
Corrupt priest and antagonist
He demands Ibarra's removal from the theater not for religious reasons but from personal jealousy over Maria Clara. His rush to the scene reveals his obsessive, unholy motivations disguised as pastoral concern.
Modern Equivalent:
The authority figure who abuses their position to target someone they personally dislike
Ibarra
Targeted protagonist
Though he has every legal right to attend as a taxpaying citizen, he becomes increasingly isolated as people fear association with him. His presence alone is enough to trigger official harassment, showing how marked individuals become social pariahs.
Modern Equivalent:
The person everyone avoids at work after they've been labeled a 'troublemaker' by management
The Civil Guards
Enforcers of corrupt authority
They shut down the performance using the transparent excuse that their commander and his wife can't sleep, then brutally attack the musicians when challenged. They represent how force, not law, maintains colonial control.
Modern Equivalent:
Security forces who use excessive force to silence peaceful activities they don't like
The newspaper correspondent
Propaganda writer
He writes a completely fabricated account praising Padre Salvi's 'heroic intervention' in what was actually an abuse of power. His false reporting shows how media can be used to rewrite reality.
Modern Equivalent:
The journalist who spins stories to make authorities look good, regardless of what actually happened
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when legitimate institutions have been hollowed out to serve private interests while maintaining their official appearance.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when authorities use official language to serve unofficial purposes—like HR protecting the company instead of employees, or safety inspectors who only show up after you complain.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"There he is! there he is!"
Context: People shout and whistle at the alguazil when he appears to tend the lights
This shows the townspeople's frustration with petty officials who make their lives difficult. Even at a celebration, the sight of authority figures triggers resentment and mockery from people who normally have no voice.
In Today's Words:
Everyone immediately starts complaining when they see the person who always hassles them
"The alferez and his wife cannot sleep"
Context: The excuse given for shutting down the public theater performance
This transparently false justification reveals how colonial authority operates through arbitrary power rather than legitimate law. The real reason has nothing to do with noise complaints and everything to do with controlling the population.
In Today's Words:
We're shutting this down because we said so, and we don't need a real reason
"I cannot eject any person who conducts himself properly and pays his taxes"
Context: His response when pressured to remove Ibarra from the theater
Filipo takes a principled stand based on actual law rather than bowing to corrupt pressure. His words highlight the contrast between legitimate authority based on justice and arbitrary power based on personal interests.
In Today's Words:
I won't kick someone out just because you don't like them - they have rights
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Institutional Capture - When Good Systems Serve Bad Masters
Legitimate institutions maintaining their appearance while serving corrupt interests instead of their stated purpose.
Thematic Threads
Power
In This Chapter
Multiple power centers (church, military, press) coordinate to crush legitimate authority and citizen rights
Development
Escalated from individual corruption to systemic institutional capture
In Your Life:
Notice when your workplace, school, or community institutions stop serving their stated mission and start serving hidden agendas.
Class
In This Chapter
Working people suffer while elites manipulate institutions for personal gain, with the press covering up the truth
Development
Deepened to show how class warfare operates through institutional control
In Your Life:
Recognize when systems that claim to serve everyone actually protect only those with connections and money.
Identity
In This Chapter
Ibarra becomes a marked man, isolated as people fear association with someone the church has targeted
Development
Advanced from personal identity crisis to social persecution
In Your Life:
Understand how speaking truth or challenging authority can make you a target that others will avoid.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Filipo expected to bow to corrupt authority despite following proper legal procedures
Development
Revealed as tools of control rather than genuine community standards
In Your Life:
Question whether social pressure to 'keep the peace' is really about maintaining injustice.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Fear destroys community bonds as people abandon Ibarra to protect themselves from institutional retaliation
Development
Shown how corruption poisons trust and solidarity
In Your Life:
Notice how corrupt systems divide people by making association with 'troublemakers' dangerous.
Modern Adaptation
When the Union Meeting Gets Shut Down
Following Crisostomo's story...
Crisostomo organized a community meeting about the factory's safety violations, securing the union hall legally and following all procedures. When workers gather to hear about their rights, the fire marshal suddenly appears with police, claiming 'anonymous noise complaints.' The union president, Maria, refuses to shut down the legal assembly, citing proper permits and fire codes. But when Crisostomo speaks about organizing, the cops move in with batons, claiming 'crowd control.' Workers scatter in terror. The local newspaper runs a story praising the fire marshal's 'heroic prevention of a dangerous gathering,' while workers who attended find themselves mysteriously scheduled for weekend shifts. Crisostomo realizes the factory owners didn't just capture the workplace—they captured the inspectors, the police, and the press. His education and good intentions mean nothing when the entire system serves the same master.
The Road
The road Don Filipo walked in 1887, Crisostomo walks today. The pattern is identical: legitimate authority crushed by coordinated institutional capture serving private interests.
The Map
This chapter provides a navigation tool for recognizing when institutions have been captured and weaponized. Crisostomo learns to document everything, build independent networks, and never trust captured institutions to police themselves.
Amplification
Before reading this, Crisostomo might have believed the system could be reformed from within by following proper procedures. Now he can NAME institutional capture, PREDICT coordinated retaliation, and NAVIGATE around compromised authorities.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Don Filipo refuse to remove Ibarra from the theater, even when a priest demands it?
analysis • surface - 2
How do the Civil Guard, Padre Salvi, and the newspaper each abuse their legitimate authority for personal purposes?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see institutions today that claim to serve the public but actually serve narrow interests?
application • medium - 4
When you encounter an institution that's been captured by corrupt interests, what strategies would you use to protect yourself and still get what you need?
application • deep - 5
Why do good people like Don Filipo often find themselves isolated and powerless when institutions become corrupt?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Institutional Landscape
List three institutions you interact with regularly (workplace, school, healthcare, local government, etc.). For each one, identify: What is their stated purpose? What do they actually prioritize? How do you know the difference? Then note one person within each institution who seems to be trying to do their job correctly, like Don Filipo.
Consider:
- •Look for gaps between what institutions say they do and what they actually do
- •Notice who benefits from current policies and procedures
- •Identify the honest actors who might be allies when you need help
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to navigate an institution that wasn't serving your interests. What did you learn about working within or around systems that don't work as advertised?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 41: The Weight of Grief and Guilt
As the story unfolds, you'll explore guilt can consume us when we feel responsible for others' pain, while uncovering some people turn tragedy into opportunity for personal gain. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.