Chapter 63

“Christmas Eve”

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

In the Subject GE1804

Rizal’s Life and Work

 Abstract

Noli Me Tangere is considered as one of the greatest literary work that is written by a Filipino. Which

happens to be the Philippines' National Hero, Jose Rizal. This novel influence revolution and the aspire

Filipinos to fight for freedom. It has become an eye opener for the Filipinos during Jose Rizal's time and is

still anticipated to inspire for today and future of the Philippines. With this Jose Rizal's life and works are

compulsory taught and studied in both public and private schools all around the Philippines stated by the

Rizal Law, Republic Act 1425 titled "An Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools,

Colleges and Universities courses on the Life Works and Writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli

Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Authorizing the Printing and Distribution Thereof, and for Other

Purposes,".

The Social Cancer, also known as Noli Me Tangere, focuses to unmask the brutality and corruption of

Spanish rule in the Philippines. Rizal dedicated this novel to explain that there was a particular disease

where it is called noli me tangere in latin, and translates to “do not touch me”. In which he compared to the

scenarios happening in his country. The novel gives a different view in every degree of society in the

Philippines. It describes the ruthlessness of the Spanish Colonization that clasps the freedom of the

Filipinos.

In this particular analyzation about the Noli Me Tangere’s Chapter Sixty-Three (63) titled “Christmas Eve”,

we will discuss about the scenarios in which Basilio, Sisa’s eldest son longed to find her mother only to find

her with deranged mind barely recognizing her son. And ended with a tragic moment where Sisa upon

discovering that she finally reunited with her son died from not being able to handle the situation. Through

this chapter, it will express the character’s emotion and reaction in different scenarios that happen in life as

well as giving the readers a glimpse of the events that happened in the hands of the Spanish rulers and

government.
 Analysis

Chapter Title – Chapter 63: Christmas Eve

Characters Involved

Sisa - Crispín and Basilio’s mother, who goes crazy after losing her boys.

Basilio - Crispín’s older brother, who is also training to be a sexton.

Crispín – Basilio’s younger brother, also trains to be a caretaker of the Church.

Elías - An outlaw and vagabond revolutionary who resents the power the Catholic church and Spanish

government have over the Philippines.

Selo - the old man who adopted Basilio in the forest.

On Christmas Eve, Basilio sits outside the house of the family who adopted him two months ago after

finding him alone and injured in the woods. He watches the two children play, which became his adoptive

siblings. They talked and invited him to play with them when his foot becomes well. In which Basilio looks

to with sadness. He then talked to the old man who brought and took care of him. He wished to go back to

his old town and find his mother. The old man was worried that it will be hard for the young boy to go given

his condition but seeing the determination of the young Basilio, he let him go and even offered a meat to

gift his mother. With the permission Basilio then went to the town, only finding out that his mother has gone

out of her mind.

He went after his mother Sisa, who went to the woods, running away from people chasing her, including

Basilio who cries for his mother, assuring her it is him, her son. As they arrived at the gate that entrances

to a tomb of an old Spaniard. Sisa then tried to locks herself while Basilio tried to find his way to enter it by

climbing into a tree of Balete. But in his weak condition, as he have arrived at the top and call for his mother

he then pass out and fall. Sisa tried to run and catch her son. She managed to see him clearly and stared

at his face as she realized that it was her son who she longed to find. She cried and fall upon the boy,

embracing him. When Basilio awaken, he found his mother lifeless. He tried to call for her, hoping she will

awake but unfortunely did not. He puts his ear to feel her heart beat, but he hears nothing. He cried again,
and found that a wounded man appears in front of him asked what he plans to do with his dead mother. He

offered the grieving man a plan in which to build a pyre and put Sisa's body together with the wounded

man, as he feels himself slowly dying as well.

Basilio did what the man instructed him. After the preparation was done, the man points somewhere and

said to Basilio that if no one comes after the pyre, he should dig there and he will find a lot of gold which

will become his and use it well. Before anything else, the unknown man murmured. "I die without seeing

the dawn brighten over my native land! You, who have it to see, welcome it—and forget not those who have

fallen during the night." He finished and slumbered to his eternal sleep.
 Reflections of the Issue in the Chapter to Modern Society

This chapter portrays two issue in which people experience even in the modern society today. One of this

is the dilemma that Sisa, mother of Basilio and Crispin, have experienced. Her isolation to the society for a

very long time, in which she spends looking for her sons impacted her psychological state. This scenario

still happens as we speak, in which people can lose themselves and mind by trying so hard to fill a void

that left them feel incomplete. In Sisa’s case, her sons are the only thing that matters to her, which she

gave up all her shame and walked around the town of San Diego, begging them to give her sons back,

which eventually led to her, losing her mind. People today, still go through this miserable situation where

they lose their love ones, together with themselves and their ability to handle this situation pushes them to

do even different and unexpected things. The moment where Sisa dies after learning that it was Basilio,

her eldest son, was the one chasing her earlier, was believed to be a cause of her psychological defense.

After she has gone mad for months looking for her sons, she developed a mental illness that helps protect

her mind from breaking a part even more, therefore could not recognized Basilio even after their long chase.

And only to end with her not being able to handle the sudden change in which she realized that she have

finally found her son and dies afterwards.

Another circulation in this chapter was when an unknown man, who was believed to be Elias, helped the

young Basilio, instructed him on what he have to do with his dead mother, together with the dying man. At

the end, the man’s dying word was “I die without seeing dawn’s light shining on my country…You, who will

see it, welcome it for me…don’t forget those who fell during the nighttime.” which reflects the man’s wish

for the young Basilio to continue his dream, even giving him the location where the boy will find gold for him

to use. Elias have hoped for Basilio to carry on with his life and start anew. And just like what the heroes in

our country have fought for before during the Spanish colonization in the Philippines, the man have hope

for this young boy to see the freedom and a great future for his country.
 Personal Reflection

Throughout Jose Rizal’s life and works, he dedicated all of these to his country and his fellowmen. Noli Me

Tangere was created to direct his experienced during the Spanish colonization in the Philippines. From the

beginning until the end of the novel, he have showed the different perspective and characters that

symbolizes the hardship and even represents the emotions that his fellow countrymen have felt during this

hard times. With each chapter comparable to the life of every Filipinos, and characters that gives the feeling

from true experienced, he have showed the side of being colonized by these Westerner. By creating this

novel and sharing it to the Filipinos, he created a hope and open the eyes for the people to see the real

consequences of being under another country.

Particularly in this chapter, which depicts the experience of Sisa, and her son Basilio. During the Christmas

Eve in which people celebrates with joy, and children feeling the cares of their parents, having a good

dinner for each member of the family. The ironic harsh fate where Basilio faced alone in the middle of the

forest, holding his mother’s cold dead body. He memorializes his dead mother on a night when the rest of

the country is celebrating Christmas Eve for the children to enjoy their childhood while Basilio was offered

nothing but orphanhood. Meanwhile in Sisa’s exposure to the scenarios that have made her character from

being a lovable mother who ought to protect and care for her child into a mad woman who in still looks for

his beloved sons even after experiencing abuse and accusations that led to her madness.

These issues that emerged in this chapter are somewhat roots from a simple yet delicate problem that were

eventually ignored and caused furthermore damaged. From the accusation to Crispin, to Basilio trying to

find a way to get his brother back, into the loneliness that drive Sisa out of her mind from losing both of her

sons. These scenarios appeared to be more popular yet also ignored in this society, as the novel shows

the true life of someone from a poor family or race, where justice cannot be served to you without paying

for its price, even if justice was supposed to be given fairly to everyone.

Moreover, in the ending of this chapter, an unknown man come into sight of the grieving Basilio. Where he

proposed an idea to send her dead mother away, as well as the injured man feeling the near of his death.

He gave the location to Basilio to find a good amount of fortune for him to use to study. As well as wishing

the young boy will continue his dream to see the freedom of his dear country as he may pass without seeing
the light shine over it anymore. This particular moments symbolizes the hope of the national heroes that

died without seeing the same freedom that we are now rejoicing over. They have sacrificed their lives by

fighting for the foreign invaders that masked themselves as servants of gods. These vile creatures that

used religion to assert domination against the Filipinos, and slave them in their own country.

In analyzing this chapter of Noli Me Tangere, we can compare this to the controversies in which Jose Rizal

used to dedicate this novel to. One example of this is the happenings in Cavite Mutiny, in which GomBurZa

and other Filipino were trialed from a fabricated evidences that led to their death. Just like in the accusation

to Crispin leading to his disappearance and unfortunately believed to be killed by his accusers. And just like

what happened in the Mutiny in Cavite, in where Filipino laborers and troops only asked for an equality with

their wages and tax payments but ended up being framed and executed for their wish for freedom and

equality.
 References

Chapter 63: Christmas Eve (English version of "Noli Me Tangere"). (2020, November 07). Retrieved

November 08, 2020, from https://www.kapitbisig.com/philippines/noli-me-tangere-the-social-cancer-by-dr-

jose-rizal-a-complete-english-version-chapter-63-christmas-eve-english-version-of-noli-me-

tangere_784.html/page/0/6

Noli Me Tangere: Chapter 63 Summary & Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.litcharts.com/lit/noli-

me-tangere/chapter-63-christmas-eve