Friar Botod

Fray Botod

By: Graciano Lopez Jaena

      Who is Fray Botod? He was characterized by being a Big - Bellied Friar by Graciano Lopez Jaena when he was only 18 years old. The Friar was depicted as an abusive, lustful, and greedy Priest. In the story the readers can sence the Friar's reluctant doings to Filipinos. My first criticism is Biographical Criticism, In the year 1874, Graciano Lopez Jaena created this fictional character to portrait the typical traits of most Friars or Prayle that coexist with the Filipinos in the Spanish Colonial Period. Two years early, The Gomburza ( Friar Mariano Gomez,Jose Burgos, Jocinto Zamora) were executed by the Spaniards. The Martyrdom of the three priest become an inspiration for Filipinos to form a Propaganda movement. One  of those inspired Filipinos was Graciano Lopez Jaena, he aimed to seek reform and and freedom from the cruelty of Spanish Colonial Movement and Catholic Church. And so, Del Pillar become a writer which criticized the abusive power of Spanish Friars. My second criticism is Gender Criticism. "He’s slapping the girl terribly ... Hum! She falls to her knees at his feet; she seems to be asking for pardon . . . she kisses his hand ... Poor girl! He takes her along . . . Cursed friar!" Since the story was in Third Person Point of View, The author shows an indication of how the Friars/Prayle abuse womens. It is also shows the rudeness of the Friar as he takes siesta with the little girls whom he call Canding canding while doing their job to satisfy the Friar. In addition, women doesn’t have the rights to be protected at those times. They are being enslaved by people who has an authority or power. The third critical approach that can be used in this story is Sociological Criticism, sociological criticism is a kind of approach that tackles the condition of culture, economy, and politics that is written in the context. As for the condition of economy in the text Friar Botod, the transactions of budgets for the building of different establishments are all being accessed first by the Friar, he wants to use the fund to his convent. That includes the Politics where he can also control it.

We can all see the impudence of most Friars that had been destined to educate the word of God to Filipinos, yet we can see their cruelty in any books publish by our different heroes who strived for freedom, there are friars who looks like Friar Fernandez (El Filibusterismo) who feel pity for Filipinos and ready to help, there are like Friar Damaso, Friar Salvi, and Friar Irene( El Filibusterismo) who are abusive like Friar Botod. Be active and alarm, for we didn’t know, there are people who are like Friar Botod that uses power for their luxurious life.