Maria Clara

Si Maria Clara o Maria Clara de los Santos y Alba

ay ang kaisa-isang anak nina Don Santiago de los
Santos at Doña Pia Alba. Ang pangalang Maria
Clara ay bilang pagbibigay unlak sa Birhen de
Salambaw at kay Santa Clara. Pinaniniwalaang
nabuo si Maria Clara dahil sa pagsayaw ni Doña Pia
sa fiesta ng Obando ngunit lingid sa kaalaman ng
lahat, ang kanyang totoong ama ay si Padre Damaso.
Mukhang europeo si Maria Clara ngunit
ipinagpalagay ng lahat na dahil lamang ito sa
paglilihi ng kanyang ina. Simula noong siya'y may
edad na 14, nanirahan siya sa loob ng pitong taon sa
beaterio upang tumanggap ng mga turong banal.
Siya ang kasintahan ng bidang si Crisostomo Ibarra.
Sapagkat tutol ang kanyang amang Padre Damaso
kay Ibarra, siya ay ipinagkasunduang magpakasal sa
isang Kastilang si Linares. Lubhang nalungkot si
Maria Clara sa desisyong ito kung kaya't pinili
niyang pumasok sa kumbento at magmongha. Sa
huling kabanata ng nobela, inilarawan ang isang
mongha na nakita ng dalawang guardia sibil sa taas
ng bubong habang kumikidlat sa langit at malakas
ang ulan.
Siya ay kumakatawan sa isang isteryotipikal na
dalagang Pilipina noong panahong iyon: Mayumi,
relihiyosa, at magalang. [1]

Maria Clara’s Ancestors

María Clara de los Santos y Alba, commonly
referred to as María Clara, is Ibarra's fiancée. She
was raised by Capitán Tiago, San Diego's cabeza de
barangay and is the most beautiful and widely
celebrated girl in San Diego.[8] In the later parts of
the novel, María Clara's identity was revealed as an
illegitimate daughter of Father Dámaso, former
parish curate of the town, and Doña Pía Alba, wife
of Capitán Tiago.[9] In the end she entered local
covenant for nuns Beaterio de Santa Clara. In the
epilogue dealing with the fate of the characters,
Rizal stated that it is unknown if M
aría Clara is still living within the walls of the
covenant or she is already dead.[10]
The character of María Clara was patterned after
Leonor Rivera, Rizal's first cousin and childhood
sweetheart.[11]
 Crisostomo Ibarra
Si Crisostomo Ibarra o Juan Crisostomo Ibarra y
Magsalin ay ang pagunahing tauhan sa nobela ni
Jose Rizal na Noli Me Tangere. Siya ay isang
binatang nakapag-aral sa Europa at nang bumalik ng
Pilipinas ay nangarap na makapagpatayo ng paaralan
sa bayan ng San Diego.
Personalidad
Noli Me Tangere
Sa nobelang Noli Me Tangere, si Ibarra ay nagmula
sa isang mayamang pamilya sa bayan ng San Diego.
Siya ay bumalik sa Pilipinas nang kanyang
mabalitaan ang pagkamatay ng kaniyang ama na si
Don Rafael Ibarra, na tiniwalag mula sa simbahang
Katoliko dahil sa pagiging diumano'y pilibustero. Sa
kaniyang pagbalik sa San Diego, muli niyang
nakadaupang-palad ang kasintahang si Maria Clara.
Nang nakita ni Ibarra na mabagal ang pag-unlad ng
kanilang bayan, napagisipan niyang magtayo ng
paaralan at maging guro. Sinimulan ni Ibarra ang
plano niya sa tulong ng magsasakang si Elias na
kalauna'y naging kaibigan niya. Gayunpaman,
nabanggit ni Pilosopo Tasyo na marami nang naudlot
na proyekto ukol sa pagpapatayo ng paaralan
sapagkat tinututulan ito ng mga prayle, lalong lalo
na si Padre Salvi, sapagkat sila ay nangangamba na
ang paaralang ito ay maging banta sa kanilang
kapangyarihan sa San Diego.
Nang kalauna'y hindi natiis ni Ibarra ang
pangungutya sa kaniya ng mga prayle at sa isang
piging, kaniyang nilusob si Padre Damaso, na siyang
nagpataw ng ekskomunikasyon sa kaniyang ama. Ito
ang naging mitya ng ekskomunikasyon at
pagkakakulong ni Ibarra. Nang kalauna'y tumakas si
Ibarra at siya'y tinulungan ni Elias habang siya'y
tinutugis ng mga Kastila.
Kaugnayan kay Rizal
Noong isinulat ni Rizal ang Noli Me Tangere,
inilahad niya rito ang mga kalapastanganang
ginagawa ng mga prayle sa mga Pilipino noong
panahon ng kanilang pananakop. At gaya ni Ibarra,
inilarawan ni Rizal ang 'di makatarungang lipunan
na kinabibilangan ng pangunahing tauhan ng nobela.
Si Ibarra, kahalintulad ni Rizal, ay nagkaroon ng
karanasang makapag-aral sa Europa at mamulat sa
iba't-ibang suliranin ng mga bansa roon. Karagdagan
pa, maituturing na isang magandang kaugnayan kina
Ibarra at Rizal ang masidhing pagpapahalaga nila sa
edukasyon.
Sa kalaunan, si Ibarra ay magbabalik sa katuhan ni
Simoun sa nobelang El Filibusterismo.

Crisostomo Ibarra’s
Ancestors

 Don Juan Crisostomo Ibarra is the son of Don

Rafael Ibarra - a landlord in the town of San
Diego, member of colonial Philippines' high
society and a Creole (Insulares). His father -
Don Saturnino Ibarra, was also a Creole and was
the one to purchase the Ibarra estate in San
Diego. Natives say that the estate's forest is
enchanted. Don Saturnino's father is Don Pedro
Eibarramendia (Eibarramendia shortened to
Ibarra) who was a Peninsulares and towards the
end of the novel turned out to be the root of
Elias' misfortunes. Elias had saved Crisostomo
from the arresting authorities.

Don Juan Crisostomo Ibarra studied in Europe.

He returned to the colony of Las Islas Filipinas
to set up a school. The novel tells us that
Filipinos were already aware of the colony's
economic stagnation and that education was the
key to an economic miracle for Las Islas
Filipinas. He also was set to marry Maria Clara
de los Santos. Don Crisostomo found out that
Padre Damaso - a powerful friar, had desecrated
his father's grave and ordered the remains
moved to the Chinese cemetery. The
gravediggers had thrown the carcass into the
river instead. Despite this, Crisostomo set aside
the sins of the friar and pursued his dream to set
up the school. At one time, he lost his patience
and almost butchered the frayle, who as guest
continued to bad mouth Crisostomo's father at
his own table. Because of this, Crisostomo was
excommunicated. However, it was soon repealed
thanks to Crisostomo's connections with high
ranking government officials particularly the
Captain-General.

In the meanwhile, an armed revolution broke out

which was organized by former members of the
aristocracy but met misfortune due to the abuse
of the frayles and peninsulares. Among the
organizers were Don Pedro (husband of Sisa)
and Elias who plays important roles in the novel.
Don Crisostomo Ibarra is implicated in the
revolution together with other members of the
Filipino aristocracy including Maria Clara's
father, Don Santiago de los Santos (Capitan
Tiago). In the end, Crisostomo loses his home,
fiance and everything. The novel narrates that
the misfortune is due to the superstitious and
medieval thinking of Philippine society which
Jose Rizal blames on the friarocracy.

The strength of character of Don Crisostomo

Ibarra seems to dwell on his social status,
lineage from iberian ancestors, wealth, education
and connections with powerful persons from the
Gobernadorcillos to the Captain-General of Las
Islas Filipinas. His soulmate amongst the lower
class (Elias) still was educated and a former
member of the aristocrat family brought down
by the religious fanaticism and superstition of
Philippine society.