# I: On the Upper Deck explained — El Filibusterismo > Chapter companion for El Filibusterismo by José Rizal. ## What happens The steamer Tabo ascends the Pasig River toward La Laguna, carrying a diverse group of passengers. On the upper deck, European-dressed passengers including friars, officials, and the jeweler Simoun converse, while Doña Victorina, a renegade Filipina, grows increasingly irritated at being ignored. The conversation turns to river straightening and port works, with Ben-Zayb and Padre Camorra arguing until Padre Salví intervenes. Simoun proposes a radical solution: dig a new canal and fill the old Pasig. ## Themes in this chapter ### Colonial Oppression The steamer Tabo is likened to the Ship of State, with friars and officials on the upper deck ruling over the brown-skinned passengers below, reflecting the colonial hierarchy. ### Hypocrisy of Religious Institutions Padre Salví and Padre Camorra, despite their religious roles, engage in worldly arguments about engineering and dismiss scientists, showing the clergy's resistance to progress. ### Class and Racial Inequality The upper deck hosts Europeans and officials while the lower deck is crowded with Indians, Chinese, and mestizos, highlighting racial and class divisions. ## Character check-ins ### Doña Victorina A renegade Filipina who dyes her hair red and wears a half-European costume, she is irritated at being ignored by the upper-deck group. She is traveling to La Laguna to seduce back her husband Don Tiburcio. ### Simoun A wealthy jeweler reputed to be the adviser of the Captain-General, he wears blue goggles and a pith helmet. He proposes a radical plan to dig a new canal and fill the old Pasig River. ### Ben Zayb A journalist with the countenance of a friar, he argues with Padre Camorra about river straightening and later flatters Simoun by calling his plan a 'Yankee plan.' ### Padre Salví A thin, withered Franciscan who intervenes to stop the argument between Ben-Zayb and Padre Camorra, citing the example of a bridge built by a brother that withstood floods despite scientists' condemnation. ### Padre Camorra A friar with the countenance of an artilleryman, he argues with Ben-Zayb and enthusiastically supports Padre Salví's point about the bridge. ### Padre Irene A canon with a rubicund face and Jewish nose, he nods approval at Padre Salví's words. ### Don Custodio A liberal official who is sleeping peacefully at the start but later turns to listen to Simoun's proposal. ### Paulita Gomez A beautiful and wealthy orphan, niece of Doña Victorina, who is fond of joking and laughing at her aunt. ## Key lines > the Ship of State, so the joke runs, also has the vice of smoking! The steamer Tabo, like the government, emits smoke and noise without real progress. _Satirical comparison of the steamer to the colonial government._ > Dig a canal straight from the source to the mouth of the river, passing through Manila; that is, make a new river-channel and fill up the old Pasig. Simoun proposes a radical solution to the river's problems by creating a new channel and filling the old one. _Simoun's bold plan contrasts with the usual palliative measures._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/el_filibusterismo_se/chapters/i-on-the-upper-deck - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/el_filibusterismo_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/el_filibusterismo_se/chapters