Summary
The Town Hall Power Play
Noli Me Tángere by José Rizal
The town officials gather to plan their patron saint's festival, but what seems like a simple budget meeting reveals deep political divisions. Don Filipo leads the liberal faction against the conservative elders, but he's learned a crucial lesson from old Tasio: sometimes the best way to get what you want is to propose what you don't want first. In a brilliant reverse psychology move, Filipo presents an absurdly expensive plan with Roman-style excess - throwing roasted pigs into the lake, hiring expensive theater troupes, and setting off costly fireworks. The conservatives predictably reject it with outrage. Then a young ally presents the liberals' real plan: local theater featuring their own customs, educational prizes for students and workers, practical entertainment, and using leftover funds to build a schoolhouse. The conservatives, still riding high from defeating Filipo, enthusiastically embrace this 'modest' alternative. Victory seems assured until the weak gobernadorcillo reveals the real power behind the throne: the curate has already decided everything. He wants traditional religious processions and expensive imported entertainment, not local innovation. The meeting collapses as the young progressives realize they've been outmaneuvered by forces they never saw coming. This chapter brilliantly illustrates how colonial power operates through local puppets, and how even the cleverest political maneuvering can be undone by hidden authority structures.
Coming Up in Chapter 21
As political frustrations mount in the town, we turn to a more intimate story that reveals how personal tragedy and maternal sacrifice shape the community's deeper struggles.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
The Meeting in the Town Hall The hall was about twelve to fifteen meters long by eight to ten wide. Its whitewashed walls were covered with drawings in charcoal, more or less ugly and obscene, with inscriptions to complete their meanings. Stacked neatly against the wall in one corner were to be seen about a dozen old flint-locks among rusty swords and talibons, the armament of the cuadrilleros. [66] At one end of the hall there hung, half hidden by soiled red curtains, a picture of his Majesty, the King of Spain. Underneath this picture, upon a wooden platform, an old chair spread out its broken arms. In front of the chair was a wooden table spotted with ink stains and whittled and carved with inscriptions and initials like the tables in the German taverns frequented by students. Benches and broken chairs completed the furniture. This is the hall of council, of judgment, and of torture, wherein are now gathered the officials of the town and its dependent villages. The faction of old men does not mix with that of the youths, for they are mutually hostile. They represent respectively the conservative and the liberal parties, save that their disputes assume in the towns an extreme character. "The conduct of the gobernadorcillo fills me with distrust," Don Filipo, the teniente-mayor and leader of the liberal faction, was saying to his friends. "It was a deep-laid scheme, this thing of putting off the discussion of expenses until the eleventh hour. Remember that we have scarcely eleven days left." "And he has staved at the convento to hold a conference with the curate, who is sick," observed one of the youths. "It doesn't matter," remarked another. "We have everything prepared. Just so the plan of the old men doesn't receive a majority--" "I don't believe it will," interrupted Don Filipo, "as I shall present the plan of the old men myself!" "What! What are you saying?" asked his surprised hearers. "I said that if I speak first I shall present the plan of our rivals." "But what about our plan?" "I shall leave it to you to present ours," answered Don Filipo with a smile, turning toward a youthful cabeza de barangay. [67] "You will propose it after I have been defeated." "We don't understand you, sir," said his hearers, staring at him with doubtful looks. "Listen," continued the liberal leader in a low voice to several near him. "This morning I met old Tasio and the old man said to me: 'Your rivals hate you more than they do your ideas. Do you wish that a thing shall not be done? Then propose it yourself, and though it were more useful than a miter, it would be rejected. Once they have defeated you, have the least forward person in the whole gathering propose what you want, and your rivals, in order to humiliate you, will accept it.' But keep quiet about it." "But--" "So I will propose the plan of our...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Hidden Power - When the Real Decision-Makers Stay Invisible
Real power operates through visible figureheads while the true decision-makers remain hidden and untouchable.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when visible authority figures are just delivering decisions made by invisible powers above them.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone says 'that's just policy' or 'my hands are tied' - ask yourself who actually benefits from that policy and where the real decision-making power lies.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Cuadrilleros
Local militia members who served as both police and soldiers in Spanish colonial towns. They were poorly equipped and often more for show than actual protection.
Modern Usage:
Like volunteer security guards or neighborhood watch members who look official but have limited real authority.
Gobernadorcillo
The local Filipino mayor appointed by Spanish authorities. Though they seemed to have power, they were really just puppets who had to follow orders from Spanish officials.
Modern Usage:
Like middle managers who appear to make decisions but are really just carrying out orders from higher up.
Teniente-mayor
The deputy mayor, second in command to the gobernadorcillo. In this case, Don Filipo holds this position and leads the liberal faction.
Modern Usage:
Like an assistant manager who has different ideas than the boss but has to work within the system.
Liberal vs Conservative factions
Political groups representing different approaches to change. Liberals wanted progress and education, while conservatives preferred traditional ways and resisted change.
Modern Usage:
Like workplace divisions between people who want to modernize processes and those who insist 'we've always done it this way.'
Reverse psychology
A strategy where you propose something extreme that you don't want, knowing it will be rejected, so your real proposal looks reasonable by comparison.
Modern Usage:
Like asking your boss for a huge raise knowing they'll say no, then asking for the smaller raise you actually wanted.
Patron saint festival
Annual religious celebrations honoring the town's patron saint, involving processions, entertainment, and community gatherings. These were major social and political events.
Modern Usage:
Like planning a big community festival where different groups fight over the budget and programming.
Colonial puppet system
A power structure where local leaders appear to have authority but are actually controlled by foreign rulers behind the scenes.
Modern Usage:
Like having a boss who seems to make decisions but is really just following orders from corporate headquarters.
Characters in This Chapter
Don Filipo
Liberal leader and strategist
The teniente-mayor who leads the progressive faction and tries to use clever political maneuvering to get a schoolhouse built. He proposes an absurdly expensive festival plan as reverse psychology.
Modern Equivalent:
The smart coworker who tries to outsmart management with clever proposals
Gobernadorcillo
Weak local leader
The nominal mayor who appears to have authority but is really just a puppet of the Spanish curate. He reveals that all their planning is meaningless because the priest has already decided everything.
Modern Equivalent:
The middle manager who seems important but just follows orders from above
The Curate
Hidden power behind the throne
Though not physically present in the meeting, his influence dominates everything. He has already decided the festival will be traditional and expensive, making all the political maneuvering pointless.
Modern Equivalent:
The CEO who doesn't attend meetings but whose preferences override everything
Conservative elders
Traditional opposition
The older officials who resist change and want to maintain traditional ways. They reject Filipo's expensive proposal but then embrace what they think is a more modest alternative.
Modern Equivalent:
Longtime employees who resist any changes to how things have always been done
Young liberal ally
Filipo's strategic partner
The young man who presents the liberals' real plan after the conservatives reject Filipo's decoy proposal. He advocates for local theater and educational prizes.
Modern Equivalent:
The younger colleague who teams up with you to present new ideas to resistant management
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The conduct of the gobernadorcillo fills me with distrust. It was a deep-laid scheme, this thing of putting off the discussion of expenses until the eleventh hour."
Context: Filipo suspects the mayor is deliberately delaying the budget discussion to prevent real planning
This shows how Filipo recognizes political manipulation even from his own side. He understands that timing can be used as a weapon to control outcomes.
In Today's Words:
I don't trust how the boss waited until the last minute to talk about the budget - that's not an accident.
"We should have a Roman circus! Let us throw into the lake silver coins, not copper ones, and roasted pigs, not just rice cakes!"
Context: Filipo presents his deliberately over-the-top expensive proposal to shock the conservatives
This is Filipo's reverse psychology in action. He proposes something so ridiculously expensive that his real plan will seem modest and reasonable by comparison.
In Today's Words:
Let's go completely overboard and spend a fortune on this thing!
"Why should we not have our own theater? Why should we always have to import our entertainment?"
Context: The young man presents the liberals' real plan for local, educational entertainment
This represents the heart of the liberal philosophy - developing local talent and culture instead of depending on expensive foreign imports. It's about self-reliance and cultural pride.
In Today's Words:
Why can't we showcase our own people instead of always bringing in outsiders?
"But the curate has already decided everything. He wants the traditional processions and has arranged for a theatrical company from Manila."
Context: The mayor reveals that all their planning is meaningless because the priest has already made the decisions
This moment exposes the reality of colonial power - all the democratic discussion and clever maneuvering means nothing when the real authority has already spoken.
In Today's Words:
Actually, the big boss already decided what we're doing, so this whole meeting was pointless.
Thematic Threads
Hidden Authority
In This Chapter
The curate controls the festival through the gobernadorcillo without appearing at the meeting
Development
Introduced here as the invisible force behind colonial administration
In Your Life:
You might be arguing with someone who has no real power to change the situation you're fighting about.
Political Strategy
In This Chapter
Don Filipo uses reverse psychology to manipulate the conservatives into accepting his agenda
Development
Shows his evolution from earlier passive resistance to active maneuvering
In Your Life:
Sometimes getting what you want requires proposing what you don't want first.
Class Division
In This Chapter
Liberals want local culture and education while conservatives prefer expensive imported entertainment
Development
Deepens the ideological split introduced in earlier chapters
In Your Life:
Your values about money and culture often reveal which social class you identify with or aspire to join.
Colonial Control
In This Chapter
Spanish religious authority overrules local Filipino decision-making processes
Development
Reveals the mechanism behind the oppression shown throughout the novel
In Your Life:
Outside forces might be shaping your community's decisions in ways that aren't immediately obvious.
Wasted Effort
In This Chapter
The elaborate political maneuvering becomes meaningless when real authority intervenes
Development
Introduced here as the futility of working within a rigged system
In Your Life:
You might be putting tremendous energy into influencing people who can't actually change anything.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What was Don Filipo's strategy for getting his progressive festival plan approved, and why did it initially seem to work?
analysis • surface - 2
Why didn't Filipo's clever reverse psychology ultimately matter, and who really controlled the festival decisions?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen this pattern of hidden authority - where the person you're dealing with isn't actually making the decisions?
application • medium - 4
When facing a situation where real power is hidden, what steps would you take to identify who actually makes the decisions?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter reveal about the difference between appearing to have power and actually having power?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Real Power Structure
Think of a frustrating situation where you tried to change something but kept hitting walls. Draw a simple diagram showing who you thought had the power to make decisions versus who actually controlled the outcome. Include the visible decision-makers, the hidden influences, and the real beneficiaries of keeping things unchanged.
Consider:
- •Look for people who benefit financially or politically from the current system
- •Notice who stays quiet during debates or conflicts
- •Consider external pressures like regulations, corporate policies, or family expectations
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you discovered the person you were trying to convince had no real authority. How did you adjust your approach once you understood the actual power structure?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 21: When the System Breaks a Mother
As the story unfolds, you'll explore institutional power crushes the innocent through guilt by association, while uncovering the way public humiliation compounds private suffering. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.