Patricia Ann D.

Ambata MaEd- English

EM 112 July 6, 2019

Historical Criticism on “Noli Me Tangere”

Historical criticism is a branch of history which looked at literature of evidence about

economic and political events going on at the time at which the works were produced, and that
also looked at historical events to explain the content of literary works. Historical criticism insisted
that to understand a literary piece, we need to understand the author’s biography and social
background, ideas circulating at the time, and the cultural milieu.

Noli Me Tangere was the first novel written by Jose P. Rizal. Jose Rizal started writing
Noli Me Tangere in Madrid, Spain from 1884-1885. Half of it as done by the time he left for Paris
and it was printed in Berlin Germany on 1887. This book was historical significant and was
instrumental establishing the Filipinos sense of national identity and nationalism. The book
indirectly influenced a revolution although the author, Jose Rizal advocated non-violent means
and only direct representation to the Spanish government. He had written the novel to help the
Filipinos awakened to the reality that has been happening back in the day. He wanted his fellow
countrymen to become conscious from the oppression and the ignorance they possesses. In the
novel, Rizal exposed how religious and colonial oppression had a poisonous effect in every
Filipinos living in the country. Since we were under the Spanish colonization by that time, he had
written this novel to made Filipinos realized that they were being used and trampled on. All the
rights and privilege they should have been experiencing were being taken away from them just
because they did not have enough power and money to speak out. It was evident in the novel that
even those fellow countrymen with position and power belittle those with nothing regardless of
race. The author also exposes corruption and brutality of the civil guards which drive good men to
crime and banditry. Noli Me Tangere exposed corrupt friars like Padre Damaso and Padre Salvi
who have made the Catholic religion an instrument for enriching and prolonging themselves in
power. Instead of teaching Filipinos true Catholicism, they control the government by opposing
all progress like how they perceive the school that Ibarra had built as the hideout of the bandits.
They always used faith and religion to gain the approval of the people under them and to believe
in everything they say. Rizal highlighted how Filipinos lived under the ruling government and
described the inequities of the Spanish Catholic priests.

Noli Me Tangere, however, also highlighted virtues and good qualities of an unspoiled
countryman: the reserve and devotion of the Filipina like Maria Clara, the generous hospitality of
the Filipino family as seen in Capitan Tiago and his family, the devotion of parents to their children
and children to their parents, the deep sense of gratitude, and the passionate love that remains
unblemished through time.