José Rizal, a Filipino writer, was born on June 19, 1861, in Calamba, Laguna, to Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro and Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda y Quintos. He developed a mature and respectful personality when he was a child. In his early life, he became interested in clay sculpting and the arts. When he was nine, he studied in Biñan, Laguna, and was taught by a strict teacher. Rizal then traveled to Manila to start his secondary education in the Ateneo de Manila University. His departure was delayed due to his brothers involvement in the 1872 Cavite mutiny and was influenced by his mother's arrest. Nevertheless, he improved his sculpting and skills in the arts. He was a boarder during his last two years in Ateneo and garnered a lot of prizes there. Upon receiving his Bachelor of Arts diploma, he entered the University of Santo Tomás, where he studied philosophy in the first year and medicine in the second.

Due to incidents during his tertiary education, he decided to travel to Europe to continue his studies. After five days, the steamer, Salvadora, finally arrived in Singapore and subsequently arrived at Marseille. He saw the famous port and went by train to Barcelona, crossing the rugged Pyrenees. He then went to Madrid and enrolled in two of the Central University of Madrid's courses (Medicine and Literature and Philosophy). After reading Eugène Sue's "The Wandering Jew," he decided to make a novel detailing the conditions in the Philippines, turning into "Noli Me Tángere." In 1885, he traveled to Paris, where he completed a large part of the novel and specialized in ophthalmology. He then traveled to Heidelberg and Leipzig before settling in Berlin, completing "Noli Me Tángere" there. Through funding from Doctor Maximo Viola, he printed the novel. Rizal then went to Dresden, Austria, Vienna, Rome, and Italy, before boarding a mailboat in Marseille and going back to the Philippines.

Early life

Birth and early childhood

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda was born in Calamba, Laguna, on June 19, 1861. He was the seventh child of Francisco Engracio Rizal Mercado y Alejandro, his father, and Teodora Morales Alonzo Realonda y Quintos, his mother. Rizal had Chinese ancestry, with his paternal ancestor being a Chinese godfather named Lam-co. He had many other ethnic elements, with many other ancestors being immigrants to the Philippines. His family had built a new home shortly before Rizal's birth, located at the city center of Calamba. In a nearby church, Rizal was christened when he was three days old. As bands outside Calamba were there for a festival, music was a feature of the event. He was first trained by two Germans, William and Alexander von Humboldt; he was not a physically strong child, but he was taught by his mother, who, nearly without books, gave Rizal a foundation of knowledge. Through being taught and read to by his mother and one of his elder sisters, he learned the alphabet at three years old. He also spent most of his time at church; instead of being religious, he wanted to watch the people.

His father and brother concerned themselves with his artistic and physical training. He sometimes drew pictures without stopping. He liked to play with clay and sometimes wax. His sculptures of animals and nature were praised by his relatives, with some telling him to continue studying nature and sculpting. Rizal also had a pony that he rode through the surrounding area. He also had a large, black dog named Usman, which accompanied him through adventures on foot. He alternated between walking and riding on his horse, inspiring some of his customs during his stay in Europe. Sometimes, Rizal was allowed to have an overnight stay in straw huts Laguna farmers set up in the harvest season. The myths and legends in the region were sometimes used in his writings. He enjoyed watching sleight-of-hand tricks and making magic-lantern exhibitions, twisting and shaping the lanterns. Neighbors enjoyed looking at the lanterns, successfully catering to the public's taste.

According to historian Austin Craig, since Rizal was a baby, he had a "grown-up way" about him; he respected the rights of citizens and convinced elders to talk with him rather than to instantly scold him. He kept his promises of better behavior to the elders and, even as a child, was not an unwelcome companion to adults. He was also not disruptive and troublesome and followed moods. Due to his relationship with Father Leoncio Lopez, he became more mature. According to John Foreman, a writer staying in the Philippines, Father Lopez was "impressive," respecting the opinions of others and speaking respectfully. Father Lopez conversed with Rizal respectfully, and when it was time to ask questions, he explained carefully. A recollection of Rizal's childhood was his first reading lesson. Since he did not know Spanish, he stumbled and messed up on the story "Foolish Butterfly," a story his mother picked. Teodora then read the book in Tagalog, the language used in their home. When he was four, one of his little sisters died, causing him to cry tears of sorrow. When he was seven, he made his first trip by visiting Antipolo, visiting the mountain shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Safe Travel. A souvenir of the travel, a print of the Virgin, was placed in Rizal's wooden chest.

Due to Teodora's literary training, she was acquainted with good Spanish writers, benefiting her children; she told them stories for children. A Bible also played a large part in Rizal's childhood, with the Vulgate, the copy of the Bible Teodora had, being referenced in his works. As church, civil, and military authorities found the Rizal mansion a good resting space when going to their health resort, the family often had many visitors. Sometimes, the house was filled with many visitors, with Teodora serving them all. Even though Rizal, as a child, barely knew Spanish, his mother encouraged him to study the language more, causing him to become better. Rizal once made a Tagalog drama that pleased a municipal official of Paete who happened to attend while visiting Calamba, leading to Rizal being paid two pesos.

Education

Primary and secondary When he was set to study in Biñan, he was nine years old. His teacher, Justiniano Aquino Cruz, was strict and disciplinary, treating students under him with some of his concepts being to "spare the rod and spoil the child" and "the letter enters with blood." Cruz also, according to Craig, taught well, and after only a few months under his care, he was told by Cruz that "he knew as much as his master" and told to study in Manila. Even though his father did not support that claim, stating that pupils were not allowed to say they know as much as their masters, Cruz supported the claim and Rizal was set to go to Manila, with preparations starting on Christmas vacation of 1871. Being in Biñan led Rizal to know his father's relatives, since they originated there.

As Rizal was set to travel to Manila, his departure was delayed as his brother, Paciano Rizal, was acquainted with Doctor José Burgos, who was executed by the Spanish government due to the 1872 Cavite mutiny as part of the Gomburza. Rizal eventually arrived in Manila and stayed at the nipa house of Manuel Hidalgo in Calle Espeleta. His studies in Manila officially started in June 1872; Rizal first went to San Juan de Letran to take entrance examinations for Ateneo, a popular school at the time with a long waiting list. He went back to Calamba, passing the examinations for Ateneo. He received praise for his arithmetic skills, too. He was highly influenced against the Spanish judicial system during his secondary schooling as his mother was held in prison for two years even though she was innocent. As the case was handled by a judge who did not receive proper attention in the Mercado home as he demanded, she was sentenced to prison. She was told to walk around the Laguna de Bay lake afoot to annoy her, but in a village, she was invited as a guest of honor. Due to the judge's angriness, he went in the house and beat the owners. Eventually, the Supreme Court ordered her discharge from custody, leading the judge to order her release, but the judge then gave a longer sentence to her, with the Supreme Court siding with the judge. She was eventually released.

During his secondary schooling, a banner that originated in Manila was accidentally damaged before a festival that planned on using it. Desperate, the gobernadorcillo went to Rizal's home and explained his need. Rizal immediately produced a painting that officials lauded better than the banner. Sometimes, he continued his clay modeling in the brickyard of one of his cousins in Makati. After the death of Burgos, Paciano retired and started farming in Manila. "The Count of Monte Cristo" was the first foreign book read by Rizal. The book that had the most influence on Rizal was "Travels in the Philippines," which detailed the travels of a German naturalist (Jagor) who had visited the Philippines. A prophecy made by Jagor that detailed the Philippines' decline due to the colonization of the Spanish and the global industrialization inspired Rizal to make Filipinos "prepare themselves for a freer state" and to make the United States colonize the Philippines instead of Spain. Other than sculpting, Rizal also enjoyed carving. Once, he carved an image of Virgin Mary with "such grace and beauty," according to Craig, that a priest asked him to sculpt an image of the Sacred Heart, which Rizal did and created the carving with batikulin, a wood that is easy to carve with and a pocket knife. The priest intended to bring the carving to Spain, but it was left behind and placed in a dormitory door by some schoolboys. The sculpture remained there for nearly 20 years.

Rizal, according to Craig, was highly experienced in clay sculpting, with Craig's analysis of clay working being "a characteristic based on his constant desire to adapt the best things he found abroad to the conditions of his own country," adding that the habit is also found in his literature and the composition of one of his sculptures of a Philippine wild boar. In his time, Thursday was a school holiday. Rizal regularly stayed at the Convent of La Concordia during Thursdays, where his youngest sister, Soledad, worked. As he was a good friend of Soledad, he was a welcomed visitor in the convent. He regularly drew pictures for her edification and sometimes made her own portrait. He also wrote short satirical skits. Some of the girls in the convent influenced Rizal; one time, he adored an older girl who informed him he was to marry one of Rizal's relatives once she had accepted his adoration. During Rizal's last two years in Ateneo, he was a boarder. He won most of the prizes during his stay in Ateneo. Rizal's course in Ateneo, according to Craig, gave him useful knowledge for his future education.

Tertiary