The Life and

Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda

Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

CHAPTER IV
RIZAL IN EUROPE, THE PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT
AND NOLI ME TANGERE

Introduction
Objectives: By the end of the
chapter, the students should be able to:
After finishing his medical course at
UST, Rizal went to Europe in 1882 to pursue 1. identify celebrated events,
experiences and undertakings in
his education. Pasigui and Cabalu (2004:32) Rizal’s first and second trips to
state that Rizal saw himself as an intellectual Europe;
extension of the ideas of the Philosophers and 2. evaluate Rizal’s works (novels,
he was infatuated with the idea that knowledge poems and essays) in quality and
and education were the keys to the future and influence as: propaganda materials;
so he informed his brother that he would leave literary works, and socio-political
documents, and
for Madrid to complete his medical education.
3. cite expressions/statements of
Romero et al. (2004) recount that nationalism from the works and be
Rizal arrived at Barcelona by the middle of able to explain them based on their
own understanding.
June, 1882. He stayed here for a few months
then he moved to Madrid because it was
known that medical education there was
cheaper. It was reported that Rizal followed a systematic and well organized schedule of
study because he wanted to learn so much within a short period of time. He then enrolled at
the Central University of Madrid for the licentiate in Medicine, including French and German
studies, and to further acquire knowledge, he enrolled in Philosophy and Letters. There were
also lessons in painting and sculpture that he acquired from Academia de Bellas Artes de
San Fernando. Just like his inclination in plays in UST, it was also known that he attended
lectures and frequented the theater in his free hours. On June 21, 1884, he completed the
course for the licentiate in medicine and received his Licentiate in Philosophy and Letters in
1885 which entitled him to a university professorship.

Rizal too was allured by the prominence of Masonry in Europe and so during his last
stay in Madrid in 1883, he joined the Masonic Lodge Acacia. Masonry preached free-thinking
and the masons were known for their liberal ideas (Pasigui and Cabalu, 2006). However, they
were branded as an enemy of the Catholic Church since at that time the Catholic Church still
adhered to their conservative doctrines.

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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

A. Some Celebrated Activities in Europe

It was known that the Filipino student organization known as Circulo Hispano-Filipino
attracted Rizal’s political rearing and so he became a member of this and participated in
some of its activities. They openly discussed matters pertaining to the conditions of the
Philippines, its backwardness, the people’s fear of the government, the lack of freedom of the
press and other chaotic conditions.

On one of the gatherings, a banquet in honor of the success and triumph of Juan
Luna (first prize) and Felix Hidalgo (second prize) in painting, Rizal delivered a speech
which reflected his cosmopolitan ideas, as well as his patriotic sentiments. In this speech, he
related that the place of the genius could be everywhere as being a genius does not choose
any country. He stated in his speech also that Spain was becoming weak and its control
over the Philippine archipelago was nearing its end. According to Pasigui and Cabalu
(2006), this was one of Rizal’s early pronouncements of a new nationalism and in a brief
span of time he would earn the name, “The First Filipino”.

Excerpted below are some celebrated parts of this notable speech1:

"In effect, I shall state the reason why we are gathered. In the history of nations
there are names that by themselves signify an achievement, that bring to mind affections
and greatness. Names which, like magic formulas, evoke pleasant and smiling ideas;
names which become something like a pact, a symbol of peace, a bond of love between
nations. The names of Luna and Hidalgo belong among them - their glories illuminate two
ends of the globe: the East and the West, España and Filipinas…

Luna and Hidalgo are as much Spanish glories as they are Filipino. Just as they
were born in the Philippines, they could have been born in Spain, because genius has no
country, genius blossoms everywhere, genius is like the light, the air, it is the heritage of all
- cosmopolitan like space, like life and like God.

"The patriarchal era of Filipinas is passing. The illustrious achievements of her

children are no longer consummated within the home. The Oriental chrysalis is leaving the
cocoon. The tomorrow of a long day is announced for those regions in brilliant tints and
rosy dawns, and that race - lethargic during the historical night while the sun lit up other
continents - awakens again, powerfully moved by the electric shock produced in it by
contact with the Western peoples, and it clamors for light, life, the civilization that time once
gave as its legacy, confirming in this way the eternal laws of continual evolution, of
transformation, of periodicity, of progress.

1
http://www.joserizal.info/Writings/Speeches/speeches.htm. Translated by Elizabeth Medina.

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Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

"Therefore I raise a toast to our artists Luna and Hidalgo, legitimate and pure
glories of TWO PEOPLES! I raise a toast to those who have given them assistance along
the painful path of art! I offer a toast that the Filipino youth, sacred hope of MY COUNTRY,
may imitate such precious models and that Mother Spain, solicitous and attentive to the
wellbeing of her provinces, may soon put into practice the reforms that she has long
considered; for the furrow has been plowed and the earth is not barren!

And finally, I offer a toast to the happiness of parents who, deprived of their sons'
affection, from those distant regions follow them with tearful gaze and beating heart
through the seas and the distance, sacrificing on the altar of the common good the sweet
consolations that are so scarce in life's twilight - precious and solitary winter flowers
blooming beside the tomb's snow mantled borders.

The statement, "Therefore I raise a toast to our artists Luna and Hidalgo, legitimate and
pure glories of TWO PEOPLES!” in the paragraph above reflects Rizal’s positive outlook on the
possibility of assimilation. And this may strengthen the side of Rizal being a Reformist
assimilationist and not a Revolutionary separatist. This paragraph too reveals that Rizal had
strong attribution: 1) to the youth being the hope of the country (Philippines); 2) to Spain that
she would later realize that reforms must be endowed, and eventually 3) to the parents
whom he had a special concern, appreciation and gratefulness.

As Rizal continued his education in Europe, he went on to specialize in

Ophthalmology. The following excerpts from Pasigui and Cabalu (2006) illuminate some
relative notes about his trainings in his medical specialization:

Citing Rizal’s letter to family dated December 4, 1885:

“Dr. Wecker had me register at his clinic and ordered me to buy an

opthalmoscope – an apparatus that is used to look into what is going on inside the eyes.”

Also in Rizal’s letter dated January 1, 1886:

“With regard to the study of eye disease, I’m doing very well: I know how to
perform all kinds of operations. I only needed to be trained in the study of what is going on
at the bottom of the eye which requires much practice.”

And in March 11, 1886:

“At the hospital I practice and examine patients who come every day. The
professor corrects our mistakes in diagnosis; I help in the treatment and although, I don’t
see so many operations as I did at Paris, here I study more the practical side.”

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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Based on the above excerpts, readers can infer that Rizal really worked hard and
gained much not only from books but also on being immersed with real world conditions. He
was more inclined to the study of law as his brother Paciano thought him in a letter when he
was contemplating to study in the famous University at Heidelberg (Pasigui and Cabalu,
2006) but many were thankful in the profession that he engaged in.

He would practice later on his expertise in ophthalmology but more than giving
these medical services, he manifested also the virtues of perseverance, patience and being
open to liberal ideas.

Other than his medical studies, Rizal also learned various languages. He studied
Hebrew to enable him to interpret the Bible in its original text and be better prepared to
defend any controversial religious issue that Noli Me Tangere might arouse. Aside from his
studies of various languages, Rizal was a tremendous enthusiast in ethnography.

He had many accounts on the culture of the Philippines even while abroad like his
translation of Blumentrit’s Ethnography of the Island of Mindanao, wherein he made a
correction on the 1852 map of Mindanao that he brought with him to Europe (Romero, et al.,
2006).

In the meantime, on April 22, 1886, Rizal was inspired by the flowers of Heidelberg
in Germany and so he wrote the poem entitled, “To the Flowers of Heidelberg”2. He conveyed
the foreign flowers to carry his everlasting affection to his birthplace, loved ones and the
Filipinos in general. The first stanza reads:

Carry, carry, O flowers,

my love to my loved ones,
peace to my country and its fecund loam,
faith to its men and virtue to its women,
health to the gracious beings
that dwell within the sacred
paternal home.

2
http://joserizal.info/Writings/Poetry/poetry.lwp.htm#To the Flowers of Heidelberg. Translated by Nick
Joaquin. Refer to pages 157 – 158 for the complete text of this poem.

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 The Life and
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Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

B. The Propaganda Movement

The propaganda movement was known to be a nationalistic movement that covered

various activities of early middle class Filipinos3 who migrated, studied and worked in
Europe, particularly in Spain. Most of the members were those with mixed origins known to
be Spanish Mestizos, Insulares or creoles, Chinese Mestizos and those with Filipino blood.
They primarily worked for reforms within the colonial system through writing and other
peaceful propaganda platforms.

Spain in the later part of the 19th century, as discussed in the previous chapter, lost
many of its colonies and had undergone unavoidable liberal transitions. These diminished
the political power of Spain over Europe and over its colonies. Schumacher (1997) relates
that the early middle class Filipinos who went to Europe saw that Spain became weak while
their neighboring countries had advanced socially, politically and economically. Some even
recognized that their own native qualities, in many respects, were more superior to what
they observed in Spain. In Schumacher words:

“The youth from the Spanish Philippines “stepped into a world very different from that
which they had known in their homeland.” They had first – hand experience of freedom of
speech, to debate on church and monarchy, not possible in Las Filipinas. Disillusioned with
mother country and indifference of officials, they began to think of what the Philippines could
be on its own.”

The timeline in Figure 16 shows some key events and figures reflecting the
Propaganda Movement from its conception in the 1860s to its natural death in the 1890s.
The Propaganda Movement was exerted greatly in Spain but its bracing way through the
Philippine archipelago started during the reign of Governor – general Ma. Dela Torre in
1869. The liberal regime of Dela Torre, however, was disrupted when he was replaced by
the conservative Governor – general Raphael de Izquierdo in 1871. The accession of
Alfonso XII to the throne heightened the gulf between the two political parties in Spain that
developed due to the liberal changes that happened in Spain. These are the “Partido Liberal
- Conservador” – Conservatives and “Constitutionalist or Liberal Party, later became
“Fusionist Party”. The former struggled for a constitutional monarchy under the Alfonsist
branch of the Bourbons while the later fought for liberal changes and abolition of the
monarch system.
3
The term Filipino here was referred to the natives of Las Islas Filipinas, now known as the
Philippines.

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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Figure 16. Propaganda Movement Timeline Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

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Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

The identified notable propagandists were Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Sansianco,

Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. Del Pilar and Jose Rizal. Pedro Paterno’s abode
became a meeting place of literary and high figures (both Filipinos and Spanish origins) of
Spain. The finest poetry of Paterno could be read in a small volume of verse entitled
Sampaguitas. Schumacher noted that the literary collection entitled Biblioteca filipina had
this verse as its first volume and was designed to make to the public “the mature fruits
produced by the Filipino youth”.

Another distinguished propagandist was Gregorio Sancianco, who was of Chinese

mestizo origin. He published a book named El progreso de Filipinas that was basically a
technical treatise on the economic policy needed to stimulate progress in the Philippines.
Schumacher claimed that Sancianco was among the first who articulated the principle of
assimilation of the Philippines with Spain. This assimilation covered the idea that indios or
the natives be considered Spanish citizens and should have the same rights guaranteed to
every Spanairds, particulary the appointment of a representative in the Spanish Cortes.

Meanwhile, the ilustrado activities in Madrid begun to change. They became more
active and audacious in presenting the political and socio-economic events prevaling in the
Philippines. One example was the satirical novel entitled “Fray Botod” which was written by
Graciano Lopez Jaena in 1874. This novel portrayed the sacrilegious activities of the Friars
in the Philippines. The friars were depicted here as abusive, cruel, lazy, greedy, hypocrite
and the like.

In 1883, the periodical Los Dos Mundo started its publication and portrayed various
activities of the overseas Hispanic world, which include: 1) Cuba; 2) Puerto Rico; and 3)
Philippines. In particular, this periodical demanded equality of rights for these remaining
colonies of Spain. The giving of such equal rights and privileges as enjoyed by other
Spanish provinces was believed to generally contribute to the promotion of Spain’s interest.

Rizal’s great contributions to the Propaganda Movement were his two novels “Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo” which were published in 1887 and 1891 respectively.
Other writings that also gained prominence are:
1. A La Juventud Filipina (To the Filipino Youth) – his poem about loyalty to one’s
motherland but some interpreted that the meaning of motherland here was not
referring to Spain but the Philippines.
2. El Consejo de los Dioses (Council of the Gods) – this shows Rizal’s estemeed
knowledge about the Greek and Roman mythologies.

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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

3. Junto Al Pasig (Along the Pasig) – this is a play about the reverence of Mother Mary
as the patroness of the Ateneo School.

4. Liham sa mga Kababaihan ng Malolos (Letter of Rizal to the Young Women of

Malolos) – this letter shows Rizal’s view on the significant role of women in the
society.

5. Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Farewell) – Rizal’s final poem, somehow talks about his
last will and instructions about the emancipation of the Philippines from Spain.

Finally, among the prominent propagandists, Marcelo H. Del Pilar was known to be
the key figure of La Solidaridad – the official newspaper of the Propaganda Movement. Del
Pilar was also known to be the official delegate of the Comité de Propaganda of Manila in
Spain. Schumacher (1997) explained that the campaign of Del Pilar was in two stages: the
first stage was through peaceful, legal campaign using political means in Spain and second
stage was struggle for the control of the Philippines by the Filipinos. Both of these plan of
action were not succesfull until the propagandists’ advocacies were superseded by another
nationalistic movement with a radical principle of separation – the KKK or Kataastaasang,
Kagalanggalangang Katipunan para sa mga anak ng Bayan.

Other popular figures who had contributed to the objectives of the Propaganda
Movement were Ferdinand Blumentritt and Miguel Morayta. Ferdinand Blumentritt became
an avid contributor to La Solidaridad, although he initially praised the works of the friars in the
Philippines. His profession of Catholicism also helped to bolster the contention that the
periodical was against friar abuses and not against Catholic fate.

Meanwhile, Miguel Morayta was a leading mason who gave Del Pilar renewed hope
of accomplishing his aims through political means. He was also the professor of world history
at the Universidad Central who taught many young men from the Philippines, including Rizal,
who asserted academic freedom.

These significant events relating to the Propaganda Movement and the rise of the
notable propagandists in Spain showed that Nationalism had developed gradually. When
Rizal went to Europe, there were earlier attempts to advance nationalistic fervor, through
implicit and explicit activities. Then he joined the other propagandists until the political
discourse regarding assimilation became prominent and later the idea of separation from
Spain became apparent.

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 The Life and
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Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

C. The Noli Me Tangere

In 1887, Jose Rizal’s priceless novel, “Noli Me Tangere” was published. His literary
fame was even more illuminated by this and his life started to be threatened since most of
the contents of this novel reflected the realities of the Spanish colonial government in the
Philippines unseen from the rest of the world.

Rizal was definitely a great novelist due to the publication and wide readership of his
two great novels: the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The novel, Noli Me Tangere,
which was originally written in Spanish, has other translations:
Noli Me Tangere is a novel written in Spanish by Filipino writer and national hero
José Rizal, first published in 1887 in Berlin, Germany. Early English translations used
titles like An Eagle Flight and The Social Cancer, but more recent translations have been
published using the original Latin title. Though written originally in Spanish, it is more
commonly published and read in the Philippines in either English and Filipino. Together
with its sequel (El Filibusterismo), the reading of Noli is obligatory for High School
Students all throughout the archipelago. In 2006, Penguin Classics published a new
translation of the Noli Me Tangere, translated by Harold Augenbraum. This makes Noli
the first Philippine Classic to be circulated by the company (from wikipedia).

1. Introduction

Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, according to many historians and academicians, may have
been greatly influenced by his reading of the book, “Uncle Tom's Cabin” by Harriet Beecher
Stowe, which relates to the White and Black Americans' struggles. It is also a common belief
that this novel was contemplated to be a collaborative work by the propagandists in Europe
but the others had failed in their tasks and so Rizal had undertaken this great work alone.

Noli Me Tangere is a Latin statement which may be roughly translated in modern

English as, “Do not touch me”. This could be found in the Bible, John 20:17. This passage
from the Bible could be reflected in the idea that Rizal was very critical in the choice of the
title of this masterpiece. The novel contains various realities: political, economic, social and
cultural, in the Philippines which were evident in the 19th century. The author depicted
sensitive events and radical views which nobody at that time dared to delve into.

The condition of the country was very chaotic and liberal ideas of equality, liberty and
brotherhood were not yet accepted as ideologies but were seen as statements of rebellion
and insubordination. This novel was translated by Charles Derbyshire (1912) with the title,
“The Social Cancer” and as is contained in the introduction of the Noli in many books, this
novel was dedicated to the Filipino people.
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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

2. Summary4

Crisostomo Ibarra is the heir of a wealthy clan. He returns to the Philippines after
studying for seven years abroad. He hears news/gossip about the death of his father, Don
Rafael Ibarra. Don Rafael was sent to prison in connection with the death of a tax collector.
Since Don Rafael stopped receiving Holy Communion for a long time, he was refused a
Catholic/Christian burial by Padre Damaso, the parish priest of their town.
Crisostomo, the main character, (let's just call him Ibarra from hereon) sees the lack
of progress in his town and decides to build a school to teach and prepare his townspeople.
Pilosopong Tacio (the old philosopher) notes that there have been many attempts to build a
school in the past, but all these had failed. Padre Salvi opposes the plan because he is
secretly worried that the school project will threaten the power he wields over their town.
Ibarra almost gets killed while he is laying the cornerstone of the school, but Elias saved
him. Elias is the mysterious fellow who also saved Ibarra previously.
With so many powerful enemies, the main character eventually gets implicated in a
staged revolution, and is hunted down by the guardia civil. Maria Clara, unwittingly adds to
Ibarra's woes when she switches his fiancé’s letter with another one that reveals her true
nature. The guardia civil catch up with Ibarra, and drizzle him and Elias with bullets near the
lake. Ibarra survives and buries Elias in the forest owned by his clan. The guardia civil think
Ibarra drowned and died in the lake and promptly leaves the scene. Maria Clara thinks her
fiancé really died, gets depressed, and enters the nunnery. She does not follow the advice
of Padre Damaso to marry Linares.

3. Summary of Some Celebrated Scenes

Chapter 1: A Gathering5

In late October, Don Santiago de los Santos (otherwise known as Capitan

Tiago), hosted a dinner at his house on Anloague Street. The descriptions of the
house could be likened to the status of Philippine society under Spanish rule. Among
the characters we meet are Teniente Guevara, Padre Sibyla (Dominican) and Padre
Damaso (Franciscan). Padre Damaso spent 20 years as parish priest in San Diego.
The angry conversation between Padre Damaso and the soldier reveals that a good
man, whose son was in Europe, died. His body was exhumed by the San Diego
parish priest and ordered buried elsewhere.
4
Retrieved March, 2015 from http://www.viloria.com/secondthoughts/archives/00000416.html
5
Retrieved March, 2015 from http://www.webmanila.com/nolimetangere/01.html

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 The Life and
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Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Some Notes

 It is not yet clear why Capitan Tiago is hosting a dinner. It will be learned only in
later chapters that the dinner is in honor of Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, the novel's
lead character, who is returning to the Philippines from Europe.
 It is almost All Souls' Day.
 Introduced in this chapter is Doña Victorina, a memorable and insufferable
character of the Noli.
 In this chapter, some undesirable traits of Filipinos were mentioned, these are:
1) attending parties even if not invited;
2) extravagant parties, and
3) the host does not get to eat dinner.
 The Philippines was likened to Capitan Tiago's house. The country, like the
house, is open to all (Philippine hospitality). But Filipinos are not interested in
business or entrepreneurship, and have a hard time embracing new ideas
(because of conservatism). Any new endeavor is met with doubts from many
sectors, but once success is achieved, everyone wants to share in the glory.

Chapter 7: Idyll in an Azotea6

Ibarra and Maria Clara get to speak privately in the Azotea of Capitan Tiago's house.
This is their first meeting after seven years. They exchanged proof that each remembered
the other one after all this time. When Maria Clara read the only letter Ibarra wrote to her, he
suddenly remembered his dead father. It was nearing All Souls Day so Ibarra excused
himself and told Maria Clara that he will go to San Diego to take care of his father's grave.

Some Notes

 A major portion of this chapter concerns the old letter of Ibarra to Maria Clara.
 The reader will note a different (almost playful) side of Maria Clara, which
belies the common perception that she is refined, prim and proper.
 Ibarra proved that he never, not even for an instant, ever forgot about Maria
Clara by making a vow before his mother's corpse. He said that he will love
Maria Clara and make her happy no matter what happens.
6
Retrieved March, 2015 from http://www.webmanila.com/nolimetangere/07.html

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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

 Maria Clara, on the other hand, proved her own love for Ibarra by recounting their
childhood experiences. She also said that even if she was punished severely
after confessing her love for the young man, she refused to ever forget him.

 Ibarra related here the reasons for leaving the Philippines. It was known that
Ibarra’s father admonished him that, as a man, he had to think of the future, his
moral debt to his country, and to learn things that he cannot possibly learn while
in the Philippines (Don Rafael had little faith in the Philippine educational
system).

Some celebrated conversations are also presented below to highlight Rizal’s critical
analysis on how the Philippines maybe emancipated from Spain. He presented himself
through the character of Ibarra but it can also be perceived that he might have related also
himself to the character of Elias. Hence, it could be perceived that the conversations of
Ibarra and Elias reflect Rizal debating with himself.

Some Notes: The Conversations of Elias and Ibarra – A7

“Sir,” replied Elias gravely, “I am the bearer of the wishes of many unfortunates.”
“Unfortunates? What do you mean?” In a few words Elias recounted his conversation with
the leader of the tulisanes, omitting the latter’s doubts and threats. Ibarra listened
attentively and was the first to break the long silence that reigned after he had finished his
story. “So they want–” “Radical reforms in the armed forces, in the priesthood, and in the
administration of justice; that is to say, they ask for paternal treatment from the
government.” “Reforms? In what sense?”

“For example, more respect for a man’s dignity, more security for the individual,
less force in the armed forces, fewer privileges for that corps which so easily abuses
what it has.” “Elias,” answered the youth, “I don’t know who you are, but I suspect that
you are not a man of the people; you think and act so differently from others. You will
understand me if I tell you that, however imperfect the condition of affairs may be now,
it would be more so if it were changed.

I might be able to get the friends that I have in Madrid to talk, by paying them; I
might even be able to see the Captain-General; but neither would the former accomplish
anything nor has the latter sufficient power to introduce so many novelties. Nor would I
ever take a single step in that direction, for the reason that, while I fully understand that it
is true that these corporations have their faults, they are necessary at this time. They are
what is known as a necessary evil.”

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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Greatly surprised, Elias raised his head and looked at him in astonishment. “Do
you, then, also believe in a necessary evil, sir?” he asked in a voice that trembled slightly.
“Do you believe that in order to do good it is necessary to do evil?”

“No, I believe in it as in a violent remedy that we make use of when we wish to cure
a disease. Now then, the country is an organism suffering from a chronic malady, and in
order to cure it, the government sees the necessity of employing such means, harsh and
violent if you wish, but useful and necessary.”

“He is a bad doctor, sir, who seeks only to destroy or stifle the symptoms without
an effort to examine into the origin of the malady, or, when knowing it, fears to attack it.

The Civil Guard has only this purpose: the repression of crime by means of terror
and force, a purpose that it does not fulfill or accomplishes only incidentally. You must
take into account the truth that society can be severe with individuals only when it has
provided them with the means necessary for their moral perfection. In our country, where
there is no society, since there is no unity between the people and the government, the
latter should be indulgent, not only because indulgence is necessary but also because the
individual, abandoned and uncared for by it, has less responsibility, for the very reason
that he has received less guidance. Besides, following out your comparison, the treatment
that is applied to the ills of the country is so destructive that it is felt only in the sound parts
of the organism, whose vitality is thus weakened and made receptive of evil. Would it not
be more rational to strengthen the diseased parts of the organism and lessen the violence
of the remedy a little?”

Summary of Chapter 61. The Chase on the Lake8

Two boatloads of guardia civil pursue Elias and Ibarra on the lake. Elias jumps into
the river to mislead the pursuers, thus saving Ibarra. This time, the character of Ibarra
changed from being passive to active revolutionary. He is now asking Elias to go with him
outside the country to redeem themselves.

Some Notes: The Conversations of Elias and Ibarra – B

“Elias,” said Ibarra, “you owe your misfortunes to my family, you have saved my
life twice, and I owe you not only gratitude but also the restitution of your fortune. You
advise me to go abroad – then come with me and we will live like brothers. Here you
also are wretched.”

7
Retrieved March, 2015 from http://www.filipiniana.net/publication/noli-me-tangerethe-social-cancer-
charles-derbyshire-english-translation/12791881586437/54/1
8
Retrieved March, 2015 from http://www.filipiniana.net/publication/noli-me-tangerethe-social-cancer-
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 The Life and
Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Elias shook his head sadly and answered: “Impossible! It’s true that I cannot live
or be happy in my country, but I can suffer and die in it, and perhaps for it–that is
always something. May the misfortunes of my native land be my own misfortunes and,
although no noble sentiment unites us, although our hearts do not beat to a single
name, at least may the common calamity bind me to my countrymen, at least may I
weep over our sorrows with them, may the same hard fate oppress all our hearts
alike!”

“Then why do you advise me to go away?” “Because in some other country you
could be happy while I could not, because you are not made to suffer, and because
you would hate your country if some day you should see yourself ruined in its cause,
and to hate one’s native land is the greatest of calamities.” “You are unfair to me!”
exclaimed Ibarra with bitter reproach. “You forget that scarcely had I arrived here when
I set myself to seek its welfare.”...“Your words pain me,” said Ibarra resentfully.

Elias bowed his head and meditated before replying. “I wish to disillusion you,
sir, and save you from a sad future. Recall that night when I talked to you in this same
banka under the light of this same moon, not a month ago. Then you were happy, the
plea of the unfortunates did not touch you; you disdained their complaints because they
were the complaints of criminals; you paid more attention to their enemies, and in spite
of my arguments and petitions, you placed yourself on the side of their oppressors. On
you then depended whether I should turn criminal or allow myself to be killed in order to
carry out a sacred pledge, but God has not permitted this because the old chief of the
outlaws is dead. A month has hardly passed and you think otherwise.”

“You’re right, Elias, but man is a creature of circumstances! Then I was blind,
annoyed–what did I know? Now misfortune has torn the bandage from my eyes; the
solitude and misery of my prison have taught me; now I see the horrible cancer which
feeds upon this society, which clutches its flesh, and which demands a violent rooting
out. They have opened my eyes, they have made me see the sore, and they force me
to be a criminal! Since they wish it, I will be a filibuster, a real filibuster, I mean. I will call
together all the unfortunates, all who feel a heart beat in their breasts, all those who
were sending you to me.

No, I will not be a criminal, never is he such who fights for his native land, but
quite the reverse! We, during three centuries, have extended them our hands, we have
asked love of them, we have yearned to call them brothers, and how do they answer
us?

To understand deeper the relationship of Elias and Ibarra and how Rizal utilized their
characters to present his imagined community, it is imperative to know their family tree (refer
to Figure 17) and the role of the creoles in the Philippines.

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Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Figure 17 Crisostomo Ibarra and Elias Family Tree

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 The Life and
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Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Description of key Characters from the Ibarra and Elias Family Tree:

Ibarra’s Family (Synthesized from Joaquin, 2005: 72 – 73)

1. Don Pedro Eibarramendia - A Manila businessman who, when his warehouse burned
down, accused his bookkeeper (grandfather of Elias) and ruined not only him but also
all his descendants up to Elias. He appeared in San Diego and vanished as suddenly
as he had come. His body was found later in the woods hanging on a Balite tree.
2. Don Saturnino - A frontiersman known to be gloomy as his father: taciturn, violent, at
times cruel, but very active and industrious. He was described as the one who made
San Diego a thriving town from “a miserable heap of huts”.
3. Don Rafael Ibarra - was the father of Juan Crisostomo Ibarra was known to be already
graduating from Creole to Filipino. He was also known to project the clash between
Creole and Peninsular. He was loved by his workers and when he knocked down a tax
collector, who punished a child who mocked him, he was thrown into jail where he”
rotted”.
4. Juan Crisostomo Ibarra - was considered a fourth generation Ibarra, educated in
Switzerland and had been influenced by Liberalism in Europe. He was known to be a
civilized man, who inherited a quarrel with the Peninsulars but did not care to pursue.
He wanted to elevate the condition of the masses through his modernist project –
building of a school to educate them.

Elias Family (Synthesized from Locsin’s translation of the Noli Me Tangere, 1996)

1. Elias’ grandfather - He lived in Manila and served as a bookkeeper in a Spanish

merchant’s establishment (Don Pedro Eibarramendia). He was persecuted and
abandoned by all except for his young wife and eventually hanged himself in his
despair upon seeing his wife sick and deprived of all care and help.
2. Elias Father - He struggled to recreate his image, worked hard and found work in the
household of a rich man. He fell in love and got married to a rich young woman who
helped him to redeem himself.
3. Elias - third in the generation of his lineage, is considered a tragic character but with a
great mind and vision for his countrymen. He was sent to the school of the Jesuits for a
while and then went back to work in the land that he inherited from his father. He
wandered around from one place to another and being known to have great deeds but
had chosen to be silent and went on his own way.

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Works of José Rizal in Europe, the Propaganda
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Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Critical Issues:
The changes that occur across the different generations in Ibarra and Elias Family
show that the Creoles in the Philippines were considered Filipino due to the fact that their
lives were entirely dedicated to the service of the country (Joaquin, 2005). They were
engaged in business and were interested in politics. Don Pedro Eibarramendia engaged
himself in business while his son Don Saturnino is involved in business and transformed San
Diego from a miserable place to a thriving town. Don Rafael Ibarra showed his interest in the
affairs of the government to the extent of him accidentally killing a guardia civil in aid of a
boy. The fourth generation Ibarra, Juan Crisostomo showed interests in the affairs of the
society and even planned to put up a school for the indios’ children.
The relationship between Ibarra and Elias shows the relationship between the Creole
and the Indio which was paradoxical and ironic. The novel presents that Elias’ family was a
victim of the Ibarras’ but he still saved the life of Crisostomo when he almost drowned and
had still been saved two more times after the incident. Elias became a character of optimism
instead of pessimism. Instead of harboring ill feelings toward a CREOLE, the INDIO felt
positively toward Ibarra. A once passive character of Ibarra became the now active persona
of a revolutionist; Elias sacrificed his life for Ibarra. The novel was able to show that Creoles
and Indios may be able to co-exist and be in harmony with one another.
With regards to the idea that the Noli Me Tangere becomes the bible in preaching
nationalism, it should be borne in mind that the novel is both about and not about the realities
in the Philippine archipelago. Hau (2000) argues that Rizal used commentaries as a strategy
to inject an ethical point of view within the novel. Furthermore, in the translation of Rizal’s
letter to Barrantes (Rizal, 1890), he pointed out that the advantage of writing a realist novel
over an ethnography or a factual documentation of social conditions in the Philippines is that
one is able to criticise without being liable to these criticisms.
Hau explains that the central problem of the Noli revolved around modernity and the
novel clearly presented the following anti-modern aspects of colonial society: 1) Ignorance
and lack of education; 2) Belief in superstitions, Rumors and gossip mongers; 3) Dominance
of the friars in terms of their intervention to affairs of the government; 4) Excessive Religious
Fanaticism; 5) Absence of external relationship with other countries.
Modernity can be considered the central problem of the Noli since the aspects of
being secular, technical and international are not clearly presented. The novel has shown a
knowable community but many of the significant features to be considered as such are still
being conceived. Notwithstaning, Hau maintains that, despite the excess in the novel, what
makes the Noli “nationalist” is that it is considered to be the first textual representation of the
Philippines that made this “community knowable” (able to imagine).
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Rizal
Movement, and Noli Me Tangere

Chapter 65: Epilogue9

The Noli ends with the following conditions of its characters: 1) Padre Damaso accepts
an assignment to be a parish priest in a distant province. He is found the following day, dead
from a heart attack or a case of hypertension; 2) Padre Salvi is seen regularly delivering
sermons in the Sta. Clara convent, where Maria Clara is; 3) Capitan Tiago ends up gambling
and spending a lot of time in cockfighting arenas. He stopped regularly going to church after
Maria Clara became a nun; 4) Doña Victorina worsened as she tried harder to live the life of
an Española, while De Espadaña was often seen without any false teeth; 5) Linares died; 6)
A lot of people who lived near the lake died when a ship exploded on January 2, 1883. It's
possible that some of the Noli characters were among those who perished; and 7) Spanish
guards saw Maria Clara, the nun standing on top of the convent roof one stormy evening,
hoping to be hit by lightning. She is, according to the abbess or Mother Superior, a crazy nun.

Synthesis

All the notes and concepts elaborated above regarding the Noli Me Tangere may
have different interpretations and ways of presentation. Notwithstanding, the celebrated
characters, scenes/parts of the novel, symbolisms and lessons on freedom, liberalism,
equality and nationalism were reflected as they could be seen in most references from
authorities on Rizal’s life and works, from books and from the internet.
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