#paulitagomez

[elegantsparklyllama]

Hot take: Paulita x Isagani is underrated and compelling as hell

I love tragedies. I love ships that are not canon because of narrative reasons. Paulita and Isagani is one of those ships I love but are not meant to be. Rizal placed the two lovers as opposites as seen in Chapter 24 of El Fili called "Dreams". If Isagani is patriotic and optimistic, Paulita is pessimistic and selfish. Paulita is manipulative and cunning while Isagani is straightforward and upright. Isagani promised a Philippines just like the more progressive European cities while Paulita highly thinks of it as poppycock. The chapter demonstrates the bad sides of their relationship. Isagani ignored the warning signs of the love fading for Paulita plans to marry the more eligible Juanito Pelaez.

Paulita is an orphan raised in a life of materialism and luxury by Donya Victorina. Isagani is also an orphan raised by the progressive Indio priest, Padre Florentino. Their upbringing informs their character and values. They are almost polar opposites yet they're together. I speculate what attracted Paulita to Isagani were the poems he wrote for her. Isagani showered her with the attention she was spoiled with as a child. I'm not exactly sure what attracted Isagani to Paulita in the first place but I think it was because she is the beauty of the town. For Isagani's side it could most likely be an infatuation at first sight. From that point on, he was devoted to her as he turned a blind eye to her flaws.

They were each other's first love. It was a beautiful cracked first love while it lasted. But if love is a choice, Paulita chose not to love him while Isagani chose to love her anyway.

When Isagani was arrested without due process, Paulita was quick to leave him and marry Juanito instead. She left him because she saw him as nothing more than an accessory to flatter herself. He was disposable.

The couple elevated to my OTP for El Fili during the lamp scene. Paulita just married Juanito, leaving Isagani in the dust. Simoun is planning to bomb the wedding with the nitroglycerin lamp he gifted to the newly wed couple. The lamp will bomb in a few moments because of said nitroglycerin just as Simoun intended. Isagani, upon learning of the lamp, storms into the wedding and steals the lamp. He loves Paulita that much, he is willing to save her even if she betrayed him. The guests were shocked when the lamp bombed in the river instead, saving Paulita and all thanks to our loverboy, Isagani.

I remember being captivated by the scene. I thought that Paulita was blind to Isagani. Then I later realized Isagani was blind to Paulita's bad side. Isagani's blind devotion to Paulita represents his devotion to his country which influenced his passion and optimism just like Simoun's devotion to Maria Clara which influenced his rage and passion once he learned she died.

A good tragedy makes you wish for something hopeful. I hoped Paulita opened her eyes to Isagani. I hoped Isagani called her out on her bitchiness. I wished the couple worked out but I understand why they didn't work. And I'm satisfied with the reality.

[tadeonlyone-blog]

ang pamangkin ni Doña Victorina at kasintahan ni Isagani ngunit ang nakatuluyan ay si Juanito Pelaez. Pinaniniwalaang nagpakasal siya kay Juanito dahil hindi niya maatim ang pamumuhay ng noo’y kasintahang si Isagani kung sakali’y silang dalawa ang magkatuluyan. 

Para sa akin kung mahal mo talaga ang isang tao, hindi na mahalaga kung anuman ang estado ng buhay niya. Dahil hindi naman ito ang batayan ng inyong pagmamahalan kundi kung paano kayo makitungo sa isa’t isa. Ngunit hindi maipagkakailang marami pa ring taong katulad ni Paulita.