Summary
The Derrick Disaster
Noli Me Tángere by José Rizal
A cornerstone ceremony for Ibarra's school becomes a deadly trap when an elaborate pulley system collapses. The yellowish individual who built the impressive derrick dies in the accident that was clearly meant to kill Ibarra. The young man barely escapes death, saved only by a last-minute warning from Elias and perhaps divine intervention. The aftermath reveals the callous attitudes of colonial society - officials immediately dismiss the death because the victim was 'only an Indian' and want to continue the festivities. They're more concerned about arresting someone to blame than investigating what really happened. Ibarra shows his character by protecting the innocent foreman from false accusations. The crowd quickly transforms the near-tragedy into a miracle story, with some claiming they saw San Diego himself protecting Ibarra. This chapter exposes how colonial power structures devalue native lives while protecting Spanish interests. It also demonstrates how ordinary people create meaning through religious explanations when faced with events they can't fully understand. The yellowish individual's mysterious background - trained by Don Saturnino, Ibarra's grandfather - suggests this attack has deeper roots in family history and colonial grievances.
Coming Up in Chapter 33
As Ibarra processes his narrow escape from death, the town buzzes with theories about miracles and accidents. But some minds are already turning to darker questions about who really wanted him dead and why.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
The Derrick The yellowish individual had kept his word, for it was no simple derrick that he had erected above the open trench to let the heavy block of granite down into its place. It was not the simple tripod that Ñor Juan had wanted for suspending a pulley from its top, but was much more, being at once a machine and an ornament, a grand and imposing ornament. Over eight meters in height rose the confused and complicated scaffolding. Four thick posts sunk in the ground served as a frame, fastened to each other by huge timbers crossing diagonally and joined by large nails driven in only half-way, perhaps for the reason that the apparatus was simply for temporary use and thus might easily be taken down again. Huge cables stretched from all sides gave an appearance of solidity and grandeur to the whole. At the top it was crowned with many-colored banners, streaming pennants, and enormous garlands of flowers and leaves artistically interwoven. There at the top in the shadow made by the posts, the garlands, and the banners, hung fastened with cords and iron hooks an unusually large three-wheeled pulley over the polished sides of which passed in a crotch three cables even larger than the others. These held suspended the smooth, massive stone hollowed out in the center to form with a similar hole in the lower stone, already in place, the little space intended to contain the records of contemporaneous history, such as newspapers, manuscripts, money, medals, and the like, and perhaps to transmit them to very remote generations. The cables extended downward and connected with another equally large pulley at the bottom of the apparatus, whence they passed to the drum of a windlass held in place by means of heavy timbers. This windlass, which could be turned with two cranks, increased the strength of a man a hundredfold by the movement of notched wheels, although it is true that what was gained in force was lost in velocity. "Look," said the yellowish individual, turning the crank, "look, Ñor Juan, how with merely my own strength I can raise and lower the great stone. It's so well arranged that at will I can regulate the rise or fall inch by inch, so that a man in the trench can easily fit the stones together while I manage it from here." Ñor Juan could not but gaze in admiration at the speaker, who was smiling in his peculiar way. Curious bystanders made remarks praising the yellowish individual. "Who taught you mechanics?" asked Ñor Juan. "My father, my dead father," was the answer, accompanied by his peculiar smile. "Who taught your father?" "Don Saturnino, the grandfather of Don Crisostomo." "I didn't know that Don Saturnino--" "Oh, he knew a lot of things! He not only beat his laborers well and exposed them out in the sun, but he also knew how to wake the sleepers and put the waking to sleep. You'll see in time what...
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 Expendable Lives - When Power Decides Who Matters
Power structures automatically categorize people as either worth protecting or acceptable losses when crisis strikes.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify who gets protected versus abandoned when institutions face liability or scandal.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when something goes wrong at work or in news stories—watch who immediately gets blamed versus who gets protected, and ask yourself what makes the difference.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Cornerstone ceremony
A formal ritual where the first stone of a building is laid, often with speeches and celebration. In colonial times, these were major social events that showed who had power and status in the community.
Modern Usage:
We still do groundbreaking ceremonies for new hospitals, schools, or community centers - same politics, different shovels.
Scapegoating
Blaming someone innocent for a problem to protect the real culprits or avoid dealing with the actual cause. Officials immediately want to arrest the foreman instead of investigating the real sabotage.
Modern Usage:
When something goes wrong at work, management often blames the lowest-level employee instead of examining their own policies.
Colonial hierarchy
The rigid social system where Spanish colonizers held all power and treated native Filipinos as expendable. The officials dismiss the worker's death because he was 'only an Indian.'
Modern Usage:
We see this in how society values some lives over others - whose deaths make headlines versus whose get ignored.
Sabotage
Deliberately damaging equipment or plans to harm someone. The elaborate pulley system was designed to collapse and kill Ibarra, not the worker who built it.
Modern Usage:
Office sabotage happens when someone sets up a coworker to fail by giving bad information or withholding resources.
Folk miracle
When ordinary people explain unexpected events through religious or supernatural intervention. The crowd decides San Diego protected Ibarra rather than accepting it was just luck and warning.
Modern Usage:
People still say 'it was meant to be' or 'guardian angel' when someone narrowly avoids disaster instead of crediting human help.
Institutional callousness
When organizations or authorities show no empathy for human suffering, especially of powerless people. Officials want to continue partying despite a man's death.
Modern Usage:
Like when companies have mandatory meetings right after layoffs, or schools resume normal schedules immediately after tragedies.
Characters in This Chapter
The yellowish individual
Tragic victim
The mysterious worker who built the elaborate derrick dies in the collapse meant for Ibarra. His death reveals how colonial society values Spanish lives over Filipino ones, and his connection to Ibarra's grandfather suggests deeper family history.
Modern Equivalent:
The contractor who gets blamed when the real boss's shortcuts cause an accident
Ibarra
Target/protagonist
Nearly killed by the sabotaged pulley system but saved by Elias's warning. Shows his character by protecting the innocent foreman from false arrest despite his own trauma.
Modern Equivalent:
The reformer who keeps trying to help the community even when people try to destroy him
Elias
Protector/mysterious ally
Warns Ibarra at the last second, saving his life. His knowledge of the danger suggests he has inside information about the plot against Ibarra.
Modern Equivalent:
The person with street connections who warns you about dangers the authorities won't
The Spanish officials
Callous authorities
Immediately dismiss the worker's death as unimportant because he was Filipino, want to arrest someone quickly to avoid investigation, and prioritize continuing their celebration over human tragedy.
Modern Equivalent:
Politicians who offer thoughts and prayers after preventable tragedies but change nothing
The crowd
Witnesses/interpreters
Transform the near-tragedy into a miracle story, claiming they saw San Diego protecting Ibarra. Shows how people create religious meaning when they can't understand or control events.
Modern Equivalent:
Social media users who turn every news story into proof of their existing beliefs
Key Quotes & Analysis
"It was only an Indian who died"
Context: Officials dismiss the worker's death to continue the ceremony
This brutal statement reveals the core racism of colonial rule - Filipino lives literally don't matter to the Spanish authorities. It shows how systemic dehumanization works through casual dismissal.
In Today's Words:
He was nobody important, so let's just move on
"I saw San Diego himself descend and push the young man aside"
Context: People explaining how Ibarra survived the collapse
The crowd creates a supernatural explanation rather than crediting human intervention or luck. This shows how people use religious narratives to make sense of events beyond their control or understanding.
In Today's Words:
It was a miracle - his guardian angel saved him
"Don't arrest that man - he's innocent"
Context: Protecting the foreman from false accusations after the accident
Despite nearly being killed, Ibarra's first concern is protecting an innocent worker from scapegoating. This reveals his genuine care for justice and the common people, contrasting with official callousness.
In Today's Words:
Don't blame him - he didn't do anything wrong
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Officials dismiss the yellowish individual's death because of his race and social status, while protecting Spanish interests
Development
Continues from earlier chapters showing how colonial hierarchy determines whose life has value
In Your Life:
You might see this when workplace accidents affect hourly workers differently than management
Identity
In This Chapter
The victim's mixed heritage and mysterious background make him easy to dismiss and forget
Development
Builds on theme of how mixed identity creates vulnerability in rigid social systems
In Your Life:
You might experience this if you don't fit neatly into workplace or community categories
Power
In This Chapter
Officials immediately focus on protecting their festivities and finding scapegoats rather than seeking justice
Development
Escalates from subtle influence to blatant disregard for human life when power is threatened
In Your Life:
You might see this when institutions prioritize their reputation over addressing harm they've caused
Truth
In This Chapter
The real assassination attempt gets buried under official narratives and religious miracle stories
Development
Continues pattern of truth being shaped by those with power to control the narrative
In Your Life:
You might encounter this when workplace incidents get reframed to protect management
Community
In This Chapter
The crowd transforms near-tragedy into miracle story, creating meaning through religious interpretation
Development
Shows how ordinary people cope with events they can't control or fully understand
In Your Life:
You might see this when your community creates explanations for tragedies that feel too random or unfair
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What actually happened during the cornerstone ceremony, and who was the real target of the attack?
analysis • surface - 2
How did the officials react to the yellowish individual's death versus Ibarra's near-miss, and what does this reveal about their priorities?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this same pattern today - certain people's problems getting dismissed while others get immediate attention and protection?
application • medium - 4
If you were in Ibarra's position, knowing someone died trying to kill you, how would you balance seeking justice with protecting innocent people from blame?
application • deep - 5
Why do people create miracle stories and religious explanations when faced with events they can't fully understand or control?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Expendable Lives Pattern
Think of a recent crisis or conflict in your workplace, community, or the news. Draw two columns: 'Protected' and 'Expendable.' List who got immediate help, attention, or defense versus who was ignored, blamed, or expected to just deal with it. Then identify what made the difference - was it money, connections, race, job title, or something else?
Consider:
- •Notice how quickly this sorting happens - often within hours of a crisis
- •Look for who gets to tell their story versus who becomes a statistic
- •Pay attention to the language used - 'unfortunate incident' versus 'tragedy'
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were in the 'expendable' category. How did it feel? What did you learn about navigating power dynamics? What would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 33: When Justice Fails Us
What lies ahead teaches us to recognize when someone is trying to protect you from unseen dangers, and shows us some people reject human justice systems while still believing in higher accountability. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.