THE LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

Module 7:
NOLI ME TANGERE AND
EL FILIBUSTERISMO
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to;

► Appraise important characters in the novels and
what they represent
► Examine the Philippine situation in the 19th
century through the examples mentioned in Noli
Me Tangere
► Compare and contrast the plot, themes, and ideas
of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
 Four Purposes of Noli Me Tangere

► a. To picture the past and realities of

Philippines;
► b. To reply to insults heaped on the Filipinos and
their country;
► c. To unmask the hypocrisy that have
impoverished and brutalized the Filipino people;
and
► d. To stir the patriotism of the Filipinos.
 Major Plot, Themes,
Characters, And Ideas In
The Novel
 Style & Tone

► Noli Me Tangere can be regarded as a historical novel

and a romantic novel, as it has mostly fictional
characters but also historical persons like Father
Burgos
 Title and Dedication

► Latin phrase which means "Touch Me Not” or in Filipino,

Huwag Mo Akong Salingin. Rizal, writing to Felix R. Hidaldo:
"Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke,
signify "do not touch me.”
► In citing the Biblical source, Rizal made a mistake. It should
be the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20, Verses 13 to 17):"Touch
me not; I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my
brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and
your Father, and to my God and your God."
► The English alternate title is The Social Cancer, translated by
Charles Derbyshire.
 Title and Dedication

► subdivided into 63 chapters. Originally, Noli Me Tangere has 64

chapters.
► The choice of title according to Rizal was because he intended
to write about themes that were taboo in the Philippines for
centuries; things that people dared not touch.
► Rizal wrote in his dedication page of the novel: “I will strive to
reproduce thy condition faithfully, without discriminations; I
will raise a part of the veil that covers the evil…”
 Themes

► Freedom from Spain

► Social Climbers
► Abusive Power
► Family Devotion
► Purity and Faithfulness
► Patriotism
Symbolisms of Noli me Tangere Cover
Page
Upper Triangle

► 1. Silhouette of a
Filipina
► 2. Bay leaves/Laurel
Leaves
► 3. Cross
► 4. Burning Torch
► 5. Sunflower
Lower Triangle

► 1. Year 1887
► 2. Bamboo Stalk
► 3. Chain and whip
► 4. Helmet
► 5. Hairy legs
 Plot

► The story of the Noli Me Tangere followed the life of Juan Crisostomo
Ibarra after he returned to the Philippines from studying in Europe.
The novel opened with Capitan Tiago preparing a homecoming
gathering for the young ilustrado. Throughout the pages of the novel,
the characters could be seen navigating the complex realities of
colonial Philippines. Ibarra was shown to be rekindling links with his
betrothed Maria Clara. But not everything was fine and dandy for
Ibarra. Upon his return, he learned about the ills that plagued his
town as well as the abuses of the friars to which his late father fell
victim to. Ibarra found an antagonist in Padre Damaso, the former
curate of San Diego who ordered that the corpse of his father be
exhumed and reburied in the Chinese cemetery.
 Major Characters

► Juan Crisostomo Ibarra Y Magsalin, or simply Ibarra, a rich young

mestizo who has just returned to the Philippines after studying in
Europe for seven years, is sophisticated, highly regarded, and highly
idealistic
► Maria Clara. She is believed to be the daughter of Captain Tiago, a
lady of high social status, and the goddaughter of Padre Dámaso.
► Padre Dámaso is an aged, power-hungry and shamelessly corrupt
Spanish priest who, for nearly two decades, has lived among the
native Filipinos.
► Elías, an enigmatic character, is a man on the run from the law who,
amid his firm religious beliefs, resents both the Spanish colonial
government and the Catholic Church.
 Major Characters

► Padre Salvi. A younger, more cunning Spanish priest who takes over
the role of Padre Damaso as San Diego's Friar Curate.
► Kapitan Tiago. Don Santiago de los Santos or Kapitan Tiago is a rarity
to the fact that he is a rich Filipino native.
► Donya Consolacion. the combative wife of the Head of Guardia Civil in
San Diego, is an elderly Filipino woman who is ashamed of her
ethnicity and who pretends to be unable to understand Tagalog, her
own native tongue.
► Doña Victorina, a brave and determined social climber from the
Philippines, is the wife of Tiburcio de Espadaña, a fake doctor.
 Major Characters

► Crispin. A young boy training to be a church keeper, Crispín and his

brother Basilio are constantly working to give help money to their
demoralized mother, Sisa.
► Basilio. Crispín's older brother Like his younger brother, he works like
a sexton.
► Sisa, She goes insane at the loss of her sons, the long-suffering mother
of sextons-in-training, Crispin and Basilio.
► Teniente Guevarra. The lieutenant of the Civil Guard is also a morally
upright man of Spanish extraction who keeps both Crisóstomo Ibarra
and the late Don Rafael in high regard.
 Major Characters

► Pilosopo Tasyo. Pilosopo Tasyo was an intelligent and sagacious

individual.
► Don Rafael Ibarra. The father of Crisóstomo Ibarra is mentioned in the
novel posthumously.
► Padre Sybila. A priest serving in the Binondo district in the city of
Manila, Padre Sibyla serves as a foil to the otherwise largely corrupt
Padre Dámaso and the perverse Padre Salví as he is rational and calm.
► Linares. Dr. de Espadaña’s nephew, a respectable young Spanish man.
Like his uncle, he has forged credentials and hopes to climb through
the social ranks.
EL FILIBUSTERISMO
 Background Of The Publication Of The
El Filibusterismo
► Rizal experienced hardships in Ghent, Belgium where the novel was printed.
► El Filibusterismo was printed on installment basis.
► Similar to the circumstance of Noli Me Tangere in 1886 Berlin, Valentin Ventura
knew the condition of Rizal and sent him money to continue the printing.
► Rizal’s Fili came off the press on September 18, 1891. It consists of 38 chapters.
► Fili received praises in foreign countries, such as La Publicidad of Barcelona stating
that Fili is a “model and a precious jewel in the now decadent literature of Spain”
and El Nuevo Regimen of Madrid serialized the novel.
► The original manuscript was acquired by the Philippine Government for P10,000
from Valentin Ventura.
► Inscription on the title page was written by Ferdinand Blumentritt but not found in
published English translations.
 Major Plot, Themes,
Characters, And Ideas In
The Novel
 Style & Tone

► Rizal seeks to expose the current situation in the Philippines in El

Filibusterismo. Similar issues were raised: the need for reform in
education, superstition masquerading as religion, the abuses of the
friars, the corruption of officials, and the pretensions of
social-climbing natives and Spaniards.
► El Filibusterismo is a political novel full of sorrow, pain, violence and
vengeance to awaken the Filipino people against the abusive masters.
It bore a tempting urge to revolt against the Spaniards.
► As in Noli Me Tangere, Rizal uses satire and caricature, but there is
less humor but more bitterness in his treatment of situations.
 Title & Description

► El Filibusterismo means The Filibuster or The Subversive in

English. It is also known by its English alternate title The
Reign of Greed.
► Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to Don Mariano Gomez,
Don Jose Burgos, and Don Jacinto Zamora (GOMBURZA),
expressing conviction that their treatment and deaths at
the hands of the Spanish authorities were unjust.
 Themes

► The main theme focused on by El Filibusterismo is the

ideal means of achieving social reform. A number of
chapters have long dialogues that seem like debates,
pitting Rizal's fading hopes for reform against his long-held
aversion to revolution. The latter still seems to win out, as
the novel ends with Simoun's failure at revolution and
Padre Florentino's conviction that freedom should be won
without bloodshed
 Plot

► El Filibusterismo is a sequel to the Noli Me Tangere.

► The hero is Simoun, a rich jeweler. He was Crisostomo
Ibarra of Noli, who, with Elias’ help, escaped from the
pursuing soldiers at Laguna de Bay, dug up his buried
treasure, and fled to Cuba where he became rich and
befriended many Spanish officials. After many years he
returned to the Philippines, where he freely moved
around. He is a powerful figure not only because he is a
rich jeweler, but also because he is a good friend and
adviser of the governor general.
 Major Characters

► Simoun. Crisostomo Ibarra, believed to be dead at the end of Noli Me

Tangere, made his fortune abroad and returns to the Philippines as
the wealthy jeweller, Simoun, disguised with a beard and tinted
glasses.
► Basilio. Taking to heart the advice of the dying boatman Elias to study
at the end of Noli Me Tangere, he went to Manila after burying his
mother.
► Isagani The best friend of Basilio, he is a poor law student and poet
► Paulita Gomez. A beautiful girl who is admired by all the students, she
at first shows preference for Isagani.
 Major Characters

► Kabesang Tales. His wife and eldest daughter died while clearing their
land, then most of his land was seized and he was charged an
exorbitant tax on the little left to him.
► Juli. Juliana, Kabesang Tales's daughter and Basilio's sweetheart is
known by the nickname Juli.
► Padre Florentino. He is a secular Filipino priest. Pressured by his
mother, he became a priest even though he was in love.
► Padre Irene. He is Kapitán Tiago's spiritual adviser.
► Don Custodio. A high official in the government, he has held many
posts, many of which he had no qualifications for.
 Major Characters

► Placido. Penitente. He is a student of University of Santo

Tomas and is in conflict with his physics professor, Father
Million. Father Million accuses him of being a part of the
student association, whom the friars despise.
► Padre Camorra. is the parish priest of Tiani where Tales
became a kabesa in Barrio Sagpang. He always mock and
humiliate Ben-Zayb's liberal pretensions.
► Ben-zayb is a columnist for the Manila Spanish newspaper
El Grito de la Integridad. Ben-Zayb is his pen name,
coming from his last name Ibáñez