America is in the Heart

Education and knowledge are, in Allos’s mind, the keys to enlightenment and success, both in America and elsewhere. His inquisitive mind is limited only by the amount of questions that it can ask. As he learns, he asks better questions and thus finds better answers, both for himself and in the realm of political theory. From the beginning, education is presented as the way to become financially stable in the Philippines. The family banks everything on Macario’s ability to finish school, become a teacher, and provide for them. All of Allos’s thoughts about education are theoretical, however, until he encounters books and university-educated people in America who encourage him. Moreover, his experiences in America show him that self-education can be just as valuable as formal education, if not more so. Finally, he values the homespun wisdom of local fisherman, many of whom have never gone to school a day in their lives.

Greater access to education is also one benefit offered by the U.S. occupation of the Philippines following the Spanish-American War. Under Spanish rule, only the ruling class enjoyed the fruits of education. The peasants, meanwhile, were denied even elementary education. This helps explain why Allos’s family values education so much that it gives up virtually everything to ensure that