Philippine E-Journals

The Enduring Relevance of Jose Rizal’s Retelling of The Monkey and the Turtle

Lina B. Diaz De Rivera

Discipline: Literary Criticism, Reading

 

Abstract:

This is a close re-reading of the famous fable as retold by the National Hero. Its special features are Rizal’s use of English and his own original pen-and-ink drawings. The paper highlights these as well as its literary and artistic merits using Virgilio Almario’s guidelines in rewriting folklore and a modern  critic’s criteria for illustrating children’s books. It ends with an “assessment with a twist” of its relevance to present-day national realities.