Essay: “To the Young Women of Malolos”

The issues tackled in the writing of Rizal entitled “The Young Women of Malolos” are the inequality between men and women, slavery done by the Spaniards because of ignorance, fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars, the role of mothers in the family, tyranny of some because of the cowardice and negligence on the part of others, unreligious acts of the friars towards the Filipinos, education not given to other Filipinos by the Spaniards, and lastly, the abuse of the Spaniards because of the hospitality of the Filipinos.
Rizal’s letter to the Malolos young women is his way of recognition for them as brave Filipinas who are no longer blinded by the fraud religious beliefs brought by the friars. Under his letter he mentioned about our own freedom as individual human beings that we must have our own judgment of what is right and wrong. As a young lady, soon to be a mother of her sons and daughters would set as an example to her children. As the saying goes, a fruit would grow the same as of its tree. Women are fragile and can be easily influenced because of ignorance and lacked of knowledge of her rights.
The friars took advantage of the kindness and meekness of this youth and brag about it with its fellow Spaniards. If only the Filipinas were like the women of Spartan who have power over their men, maybe no one would dare to touched or harassed a woman. Rizal wanted to make his people open their eyes and to avoid ignorance of freedom. Ignorance is the cause of slavery during their time and this is what we must not let to happen again. He did not want its people to live without a religious belief but he just wants them apprehend not to be deceived by the exploitations done by the friars under their robes.

The teachings made must be put into action not just in words. “To the Women of Malolos” centers around five salient points (Zaide &Zaide, 1999): First, Filipino mothers should teach their children love of God, country, and fellowmen. Second, Filipino mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan mothers, to offer their sons in defense of their country. Third, Filipino women should know how to protect their dignity and honor. Lastly, Filipino women should educate themselves aside from retaining their good racial values.
Faith is not merely reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures. It is living the real Christian way with good morals and manners. In recent times, it seems that these qualities are gradually lost in the way Filipino women conduct themselves. There are oftentimes where mothers forget their roles in rearing their children because of the overriding idea of having to earn for the family to supplement their husband’s income. Although there is nothing negative about working hard for the welfare of the family, there must always be balance in the way people go through life.
Failure in the home cannot be compensated for by any amount of wealth or fame. Rizal stipulates a number of important points in this portion of his letter to the young women of Malolos. The central idea here, however, is that whatever a mother shows to her children is what the children will become also. If the mother is always kissing the hand of the friars in submission, then her children will grow up to be sycophants and mindless fools who do nothing but do as they are told, even if the very nature of the task would violate their rights as individuals.
In this writing of Rizal, it is obvious that his ultimate desire is to have women the same opportunity men received in terms of education. During those days young girls were not sent to school because of the universal notion that they would soon be only taken as wives and stay only at home with the children. But Rizal emphasizes on freedom of thought and right for education that both girls and boys should have. He had also shown to this letter all about that Spaniards friars.
He cited, “God gave each individual reason and a will of his or her own to distinguish the just from the unjust; all were born without shackles and free, and nobody has a right to subjugate the will and the spirit of another. ” We are all born equal, naked and without bonds. God did not create man to be a slave of others. A man who does not think for himself and allowed him to be guided by the thought of another is like the beast led by a halter. God gives us intelligence that we may use against this slavery of others. We must be dignified, have faith on him and work together as one.
Citations:

http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Young-Women-Of-Malolos/389462
http://bookstove. com/book-talk/to-the-young-women-of-malolos-concise-summary-and-critical-analysis/
http://www. mb. com. ph/articles/235667/rizal-to-my-young-countrywomen-malolos
http://www. studymode. com/essays/Young-Women-Of-Malolos-389462. html? topic
http://www. studymode. com/essays/To-The-Young-Women-Of-Malolos-1099089. html? topic