UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS

Tuguegarao City

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ARTS and SCIENCES

Second Semester
A.Y. 2020-2021

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

RZAL 1013 (Life and Works of Rizal)

Prepared by:
HAYDEN GONZALES
RACHEL ANN SURLA
ALVIC B. TORRES
Course Instructor

Reviewed by:

RENZ MARION C. GAVINO, MP

General Education Area

Recommended by:

VENUS I. GUYOS, Ph.D.

Academic Dean

Approved by:

EMMANUEL JAMES P. PATTAGUAN, Ph.D.

Vice President for Academics

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 1

 UNIVERSITY PRAYER

O God, wellspring of goodness and blessings, we give you thanks and praise as one
Louisian community. The graces You incessantly grant upon us and Your divine
providence have sustained our beloved University throughout the years of mission and
excellence.
Having been founded by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we pray
that You keep us committed and dedicated to our mission and identity to serve the
Church and the society as we become living witnesses to the Gospel values proclaimed
by Jesus. For if we are steadfast in our good and beautiful mission, our works will bring
success not only to ourselves but also to those whom we are bound to love and serve.
Inspired by St. Louis our Patron Saint, who was filled with a noble spirit that stirred him
to love You above all things, may we also live believing that we are born for a greater
purpose and mission as we dwell in Your presence all the days of our life.
Grant all these supplications through the intercession of
Mother Mary and through Christ our Lord. Amen.

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 2

 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
RZAL 1013: Life and Works of Rizal
AY 2020-2021
Week 4

Lesson IX: NOLI ME TANGERE

Topic: THE MAKING OF NOLI ME TANGERE

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

Learning Outcomes: 1. Discuss the experiences of Rizal in the making of Noli Me Tangere;
2. Determine the impacts of the novel to the Filipino Consciousness; and
3. Create a cover page about the Making of Noli Me Tangere.

Date Topics Activities

July 12 Read Lesson
THE MAKING OF NOLI ME
TANGERE
July 16-17 Answering Learning Task

LEARNING CONTENT

THE MAKING OF NOLI ME TANGERE

“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 night-time.”
-Noli Me Tangere (Jose P. Rizal)

Introduction

Noli Me Tangere is one of the Philippine literature's most

popular books, describing the conditions of the Philippines
during the Spanish colonization. Noli Me Tángere is considered
to be one of the most significant written works of the national
hero at the height of his scholarly efforts in Europe. It was not
only because it was published by the National Hero, Jose Rizal,
but also because it revealed the socio-historical status of the
Filipinos under the Spanish rule. In this book, Rizal gathered his
intellectual experiences as he tapped his experience of different
fields and woven a story that tried to reflect, if not reveal, the
complexities of colonial life in the Philippines in the nineteenth
century. Jose Rizal 's novel opened the eyes of the revolutionists
to see the stereotypes and wrongdoings of the Spaniards. This
lesson will explore the context of the publication of the Noli.

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 3

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF WRITING THE NOVEL

As a tourist in Europe, Rizal joined in the Illustrado Movement to use propaganda to

advocate for improvements in the Philippines. Using their intellectual prowess, the
illustrados published numerous written outputs from news pieces, feature posts, and
commentaries. They also created artistic works from ironic pieces to world-class paintings. In this
artistic and literary set, Rizal 's outstanding mastery of words was evident in one of his most
celebrated novels, his first book, Noli Me Tangere. The bleak winter of 1886 was an extraordinary
one in Rizal's life for two reasons: first, it was a harrowing episode because he was starved, sick,
and destitute in a foreign country; and second, it brought him enormous pleasure after suffering
too much, because his first book, Noli Me Tangere, came out of the press in March 1887. Like
the legendary Santa Claus, Dr. Maximo Viola, a friend of his from Bulacan, came to Berlin at the
height of his despondency and offered him the money he needed to write the novel.

Idea of Writing a Novel on the Philippines

Dr. Rizal was influenced by his reading of Uncle Tom's Cabin by

Harriet Beecher Stowe, which describes the brutalities of American
slave-owners and the pathetic lives of the poor Negro slaves, to plan a
novel that would show the miseries of his people under the lash of
Spanish tyrants. He was an undergraduate at Madrid's Central
University. The biographers of Rizal also state that the Spoliarium of
Antonio Luna, which represented the sufferings of mankind in the face
of inequality, was also an influence in the writing of his first book.

On January 2, 1884, at a Filipino gathering at the Paterno

residence in Madrid, Rizal recommended the writing of a novel by a
group of Filipinos about the Philippines. The Paternos (Pedro, Maximino,
and Antonio), Graciano Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete,
Julio Llorente, Melecio Figueroa, and Valentin Ventura were among
those present who unanimously accepted his plan. Rizal 's project, sadly, did not materialize.
Nothing was written by those compatriots who were supposed to collaborate on the book. The
book was planned to cover all stages of life in the Philippines. Nearly everybody decided to write
about women, though. At such flippancy, Rizal was disgusted. He was more disgusted to see that
his companions spent their time gambling or flirting with Spanish señoritas, instead of focusing
seriously on the book. Undaunted by the indifference of his friends, he decided to write the novel
alone.

As a surmise, the novel has four purposes (Jesus, 2017):

1. To picture the past and realities of Philippines;
2. To reply to insults heaped on the Filipinos and their country;
3. To unmask the hypocrisy that have impoverished and brutalized the Filipino people;
and
4. To stir the patriotism of the Filipinos.

The Title of the Novel

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 4

 The title Noli Me Tangere is a Latin phrase which means "Touch Me Not” or in Filipino,
Huwag Mo Akong Salingin. It is not originally conceived by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from
the Bible. Rizal, writing to Felix R. Hidaldo in French on March 5, 1887, said: "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).
According to St. John, on the First Easter Sunday. St. Mary Magdalene visited the Holy Sepulcher,
and to her Our Lord Jesus, just arisen from the dead, said:

"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 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.

According to his biographers, Rizal intended to write his first novel in French, which at the
time was known to be the language of intellectuals in Europe. He, however, turned to Spanish
because in the Philippines he intended to reach out to his countrymen.

The Author's Dedication

Rizal dedicated his Noli Me Tangere to the Philippines - "A Mi Patria" (To My Fatherland).
His dedication runs as follows:

Recorded in the history of human sufferings is a cancer so malignant a character

that the least touch irritates it and awakens in it the sharpest pains. Thus, how
many times, when in the midst of modern civilizations, I have wished to call thee
before me, now to accompany me in memories, now to compare thee with other
countries, hath thy dear image presented itself showing a social cancer like to that
other!

Desiring thy welfare which is our own, and seeking the best treatment, I will do with
thee what the ancients did with their sick, exposing them on the steps of the temple
so that every one who came to invoke the Divinity might offer them a remedy

And to this end, I will strive to reproduce thy condition faithfully, without
discriminations; I will raise a part of the veil that covers the evil, sacrificing to truth
everything, even vanity itself, since, as thy son I am conscious that I also suffer
from thy defects and weaknesses.

The Writing of the Noli Me Tangere

Rizal started writing the novel in Madrid at the end of 1884 and completed about one-half
of it. He started to compose the novel as he went to Paris in 1885, after ending his studies at the
Central University of Madrid, finishing half of the second half. In Germany, he completed the last
fourth of the book. In April-June, 1886, he published the last few chapters of Noli at Wilhelmsfeld.
Over the winter days of February 1886 in Berlin, the final revisions to the Noli manuscript were
carried out by Rizal. Sick and penniless, he had no chance of making it released, so he nearly
threw it into the flames in a momentary fit of desperation. Years later he told his good friend and
former classmate, Fernando Canon: "I did not believe that the Noli Me Tangere would ever be

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 5

published when I was in Berlin, broken-hearted, weakened, and discouraged from hunger and
deprivation. I was on the point of throwing my work into the fire as a thing accursed and fit only to
die."

Viola, Savior of the Noli

In the centre of his suffering and his despondency. From Dr.

Maximo Viola, who was going to Berlin, Rizal got a telegram. This
friend of Rizal's was a scion of the affluent San Miguel Bulacan family.
This means that he was rich. He was saddened to see Rizal living in
poverty and deplorably sickly due to lack of adequate nourishment
when he arrived in Berlin shortly before Christmas Day of 1887. Viola,
being filled with sufficient money, gladly decided to cover the printing
expense of the Noli after seeing the plight of his talented friend. He
loaned Rizal some cash for living expenses as well. Thus, it happened
that Rizal and Viola were able to celebrate Christmas in Berlin in 1886
with a sumptuous feast. Rizal put the final touches to his novel after
the Christmas season. He omitted some passages in his manuscript
to save printing costs, including a whole chapter—"Elias and Salome.

The Noli was fully completed and ready for printing on February 21, 1887. Rizal went to
numerous printing shops in Berlin with Viola, the savior of the Noli, to survey the printing prices.
They eventually found a Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft printing shop after a few days
of enquiries, which paid the lowest cost, that is, 300 pesos for 2,000 copies of the book. It must
be noted that in Berlin, Germany, Noli Me Tangere was published.

Rizal Suspected as Frenchy Spy

An unusual incident occurred in Rizal during the printing of Noli. One morning, the Berlin
police chief paid a surprise visit to Rizal's boarding house and demanded to see the passport of
the latter. Unfortunately, Rizal was unable to produce a passport, for he had none - it was possible
to fly without a passport in those days. The police chief then instructed him, within four days, to
obtain a visa, or he would be deported. Rizal, followed by Viola, then went to the Spanish embassy
to request the assistance of the Spanish ambassador, the Count of Benomar, who had agreed to
deal with the matter. The ambassador, however, refused to keep his word, and it turned out he
had no authority to grant the appropriate passport.

Rizal introduced himself at the office of the German police chief at the expiration of the
four-day ultimatum, apologizing for his inability to acquire a visa, and respectfully asked the latter
why he should be deported when he had not committed any crime. The police chief told him that
he had received intelligence reports that he (Rizal) had made repeated visits to rural villages and
cities, raising the suspicion of the German government that he was a French spy, because he
had entered Germany from Paris, where he had been staying for many years, and was clearly a
lover of France, whose language and culture he knew so well. On account of Alsace-Lorraine,
relations between France and Germany were strained at the time.

Rizal explained to the police chief, in fluent German, that he was not a French spy, but a
Filipino physician and scientist, especially an ethnologist. He toured the rural regions of the
countries he toured as an ethnologist to study the customs and life-styles of their everyday
inhabitants. The police chief was delighted and allowed him to remain openly in Germany,

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 6

favourably impressed with Rizal 's description and intrigued by his mastery of the German
language and personal charisma.

Printing of the Noli Finished

Rizal oversaw the printing of the Noli, with the aid of Viola, after the incident of his aborted
deportation as a suspected French spy. They were at the printing shop proof-reading the printed
pages day by day. On March 21, 1887, the Noli Me Tangere came off the press. Rizal immediately
sent the first copies of the printed novel to his intimate friends, including Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio
Ma. Regidor, G. Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce, and Felix R. Hidalgo. In his letter to Blumentritt,
dated March 21, 1887. he said: "I am sending you a book. It is my first book, though I have already
written much before it and received some prizes in literary competitions. It is the first impartial and
bold book on the life of the Tagalogs. The Filipinos will find it the history of the last ten years. I
hope you will notice how different are my descriptions from those of other writers. The government
and the friars will probably attack the work, refuting my arguments: but I trust in the God of Truth
and in the persons, who have actually seen the sufferings at close range. I hope I can answer all
the concepts which have been fabricated to malign us.”

On March 29, 1887, Rizal, in token of his appreciation and gratitude, gave Viola the galley
proofs of the Noli carefully rolled around the pen that he used in writing it and a complimentary
copy, with the following inscription: "To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and
appreciate my work - Jose Rizal."

Symbolisms of Noli Cover Page

Each element of the cover page has its own meaning or symbolism. Just one look at the
cover, it already tells us every bit of what's in the novel. Rizal also purposely designed the title to
be placed diagonally so that it can divide an upper and lower triangle. (Bernus & Hermoso, n.d.)

Symbol Meaning/Symbolism

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 7

 1. Silhouette of a • believed to be Maria Clara or as the "Inang Bayan" to
Filipina whom Rizal dictates the novel
2. Bay Leaves/ • represents Honor and Fidelity
Laurel Leaves
3. Cross • represents the Catholic faith as it rises above Inang
Bayan and Filipinos (shows dominance). It also Upper Triangle
symbolizes sufferings and death. This represents Rizal's
4. Burning torch • refers to the Olympic torch past life.
• pertains to the awakening of Filipino consciousness
• it also sheds light to the text of the manuscript
5. Sunflower • it symbolizes a new beginning
• it is compared to the happiness of which appears to be
always bowing down
6. Year 1887 • publication of Noli
7. Bamboo Stalk • it represents Filipino resiliency
• despite the sufferings, Filipinos can still stand tall and firm
8. Chain and Whip • it symbolizes slavery and imprisonment (Chain) Lower Triangle
• it represents the abuses and cruelties done by the This represents Rizal's
Spaniards and friars as depicted in the novel (Whip) currents situations.
9. Helmet • It represents the helmet of Guardia civil. Symbolizes the
arrogance of those in authority
10. Hairy Legs • it symbolizes the Legend of the Wolf
• the wolf shape shifts just like how friars hide their true
nature and character

Reactions to the Noli

The Noli produced reactions from readers, Filipinos and strangers alike
in the immediate months and years after its publication in 1887. Answers varied
from praise to outright mockery. One sector that espoused utmost disdain for
the novel was the Spanish clergy as well as some Spanish colonial officials. It
is thus understandable that in 1887, when Fray Salvador Font, chair of the
censorship board, banned the reading and possession of Rizal 's book, Spanish
friars vehemently prohibited the dissemination of the book. The book was
assessed and judged as pernicious by several other friars. In order to stop
committing capital sins, they told devout Catholics not to read the book. Not
only did disapproval of the novel from Spanish officials and scholars persist in
the Philippines, it was also voiced in Spain. Vicente Barrantes, who wrote
several pieces in Spanish newspapers ridiculing Rizal's inconsistencies, was a
staunch opponent of the book. Barrantes described Rizal as man of
contradiction whose criticisms of friars and the Spanish regime were actually
an insult to the Filipino themselves.

The book was also attacked by Fr. Jose Rodriguez. As he was

intimidated, he issued a pamphlet titled “Caingat Cayo”, which warned the
Filipinos against reading the Noli. In 1889, Rizal published his answer to Fr.
Rodriguez in the pamphlet La Vision de Fr. Rodriguez, a brilliant satire in which
exposed the ignorance of the friar (Agoncillo, 1990)

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 8

 His novel also found passionate
defenders among his peers, just as Rizal's
detractors came from diverse fields. His book
was lauded by many of his peers in the
Propaganda movement. Marcelo H. del Pilar,
who also wrote essays in response to the Noli
critics, is one example. Support for the novel
was also shared by Rizal 's friend, Ferdinand
Blumentritt, also an academic. Blumentritt
noted that Rizal’s work “has been written with
the blood of the heart, and so the heart also
speaks.” Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, Filipino
patriot and lawyer, also read the novel. He felicitated Rizal saying “Every Filipino patriot will read
your book with amity and upon discovering in every line a veracious idea and in every word a
fitting advice, he will be inspired and he will regard you book as the masterpiece of a Filipino and
the proof that those who thought us incapable of producing great intellects are mistaken or lying.”
(Zaide & Zaide, 1994)

As the Noli in the Philippines of the nineteenth century stirred outrage in social circles, it
is surprising to learn that the novel continued to be a topic of discussion and discussion well past
its time. In the immediate years after its publication, the Noli was translated into several
languages. One of the earliest translations of the novel was done in French. Many scholars posit
that there were early attempts to translate the novel into German (by Blumentritt) and even
Tagalog (by Rizal's brother, Paciano) but these plans never came to fruition. At the turn of the
twentieth century, during the American colonial period, several other translations and editions of
the novel came out. Arguably the most circulated versions were the English translations of
Charles Derbyshire. By the 1930s, Rizal's Noli and several Spanish editions, translations into
English, French, Jpanese, and also into several languages in the Philippines including Tagalog,
Cebuano, Waray, Iloko, and Bikol.

Distribution of the novel to the Philippines

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 9

 In the middle of the tight censorship imposed by the
Spaniards, the story of how Noli Me Tangere was spread in the
Philippines can be traced to the efforts of Jose Basa, the hero-
smuggler of the Propaganda movement. He was able to
organize Hong Kong-Manila trips for Filipinos through his
contacts and flourishing business, which became the route for
subversive and anti-friar pamphlets to enter Filipinos' hands.
Noli Me Tangere was one of them. The Filipino travelers who
worked as couriers were allegedly told to disembark the ships
without the books commonly concealed in the ship's coal bin.
They would then hire a carretela and the books, usually placed
inside buri sacks, would be loaded to the carretela. Afterwards,
they would pretend to forget something in the ship. They would
ask a permission from a crew member to walk back to the ship
leaving the buri sacks in the carretela. After sometime, the
cochero would inspect the buri sacks and find the books. He
would either dispose or leave them and another arranged
carretela would pick up the sacks for people to freely get copies,
thus disseminating them to Filipinos.

Jose Ma. Basa

Impact of Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere is considered romantic, but because of its nature, it is more socio-
historical. Today, much of the issues addressed in Noli can still be found. The novel quickly gained
attention, but only a small number of copies reached the Philippines, for it was forbidden to be
read by the Spanish authorities, in particular the friars whom Rizal mocked in the novel. Anyone
who was found reading it was harshly disciplined. Naturally, the ban made more Filipinos much
more interested about the book. This is called Streisand effect. Originally, Noli was written in
Spanish, so the chance of Spanish officials reading it first was very high, which is what Rizal
chose to do. Copies of books have been redirected to churches, many have been burned, many
anti-Noli authors have been brought into the picture. At the time, Catholic figures in the Philippines
viewed the book as heretical, although it was considered rebellious and against the government
by the Spanish colonial authorities. From his book, they found their immorality, their bogus culture,
and their vices were faithfully mirrored in the novel. As Dr. Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera, an Insular,
said:

“The prestige which the friars had enjoyed, and which was based only on the
ignorance of the masses, crumbled away when the private lives of the member of
the religious orders in the provinces were described in the pages of Rizal’s book
and the immorality and the viciousness of the friars were exposed to the public
view”

After publication, Noli me Tangere was considered to be one of the instruments that
initiated Filipino nationalism leading to the 1896 Philippine Revolution. The novel did not only
awaken sleeping Filipino awareness, but also established the grounds for aspiring to
independence. Underground copies were distributed, so Rizal decided to increase the price, the
demand was so high.

The impact also included the expulsion of Rizal's clan in Calamba, Laguna. Extradition
cases were filed against him. This led to his decision to write the sequel of Noli Me Tangere, the

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 10

El Filibusterismo. Unlike El Fili, Noli Me Tangere was more delicate and did not invoke rebellion.
as El Fili does. So, to ensure revolutionary ideas and patriotic reaction, Rizal redefined his careful
concepts in Noli to aggression in El Fili.

REFERENCES

Agoncillo, T. (1990). History of FIlipino People. C &E Publishing.

Bernus, G. M., & Hermoso, A. (n.d.). Unveiling Rizal. Retrieved from Unveiling Rizal:
https://unveilingrizal.weebly.com/index.html

Clemente, J. (2019). The Life and Works of Rizal. Quezon City: C&E Publishing Inc.

Jesus, M. B. (2017). Rizal (His Life, Works, and Writings). Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.

Zaide, G. F., & Zaide, S. M. (1994). Jose Rizal: Life, Works and Writings of a Genius, Writer,
Scientist, and NAtional Hero. Quezon City: All-Nations Publsihing Co., Inc.

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

RZAL 1013: Life and Works of Rizal
AY 2020-2021
WEEK 10

LESSON X: PLOT, CHARACTERS, AND THEMES OF NOLI ME TANGERE

Topic: PLOT, CHARACTERS, AND THEMES OF NOLI ME TANGERE

Learning outcomes At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
a. Recall salient points of the plot, characters and themes of the
novel;
b. Examine the characters of the novel and relate their
personalities in present time; and
c. Relate the themes of raised in the novel in the changing
landscape of the contemporary word.

Date Topics Activitiies

Read the lessons
July 12 PLOT, CHARACTERS,
AND THEMES OF NOLI
ME TANGERE Accomplishing Assessments
July 15
July 16-17 Submission of Worksheets

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 11

Learning Content

Introduction

Upon knowing important details of the novel Noli Me

Tangere, this chapter presents the novel’s plot, themes, and
characters. The plot will provide a story of hope and struggle against
the backdrop of an elaborate setting filled with equally complex
characters. Through the novel’s characters, varied point of views
were gleaned from colonial life in their different journey and through
novel’s themes, help you to better understand the whole message
of the novel that even up to present are worthy for discussion.

Lesson Proper

PLOT OF THE NOVEL NOLI ME TANGERE

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.

Despite these personal travails, Ibarra persevered to fulfill the plan of building a school in
San Diego, staying true to his belief that education was crucial for his nation's progress.
Ibarra almost got killed had it not for Elias, a boatman, who saved him. Elias also
previously cautioned Ibarra about his actions that could anger the friars. After the incident,
Ibarra organized a luncheon.

Here, another confrontation occurred between Ibarra and Damaso who attended the
luncheon uninvited. In a fit of Ibarra took a knife against Damaso's neck and threatened
to slit his throat as he told everyone of the abuses committed by Damaso and the
desecration he did to Ibarra's father. Maria Clara calmed Ibarra and prevented him from

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 12

killing the friar. Damaso, in an act of revenge, persuaded Capitan Tiago, the father of
Maria Clara, to not allow his daughter to marry Ibarra.

After some time, a revolt was blamed on Ibarra, which caused his incarceration. With the
help of Elias, he escaped and went to see Maria Clara who was soon marrying the man
her father chose for her. In a heartbreaking confrontation, Ibarra and Maria Clara
exchanged accusations and in the revealed that Damaso was the true father of Maria
Clara

As turmoil and confusion engulfed the town, Maria Clara thought Ibarra had been killed.
This caused her endless grief. She asked to be confined to a nunnery lest she take her
own life. It was later revealed that Ibarra was not dead and that Elias was the one fatally
shot. In the latter passages, the dying Elias was waiting for Ibarra but instead, met and
talked to the young Basilio. He instructed the orphaned boy (his mother Sisa, who became
insane looking for her young sons, had died) to find the treasure of Ibarra buried in the
cemetery and use it to get an education. He reminded Basilio to never lose hope and if
one day, freedom and progress would come to his country, to not forget those who
labored in the night.

Within this general contour of the narrative, Rizal wove a complex story and subplots.
Reading through the novel, different characters and their corresponding stories unfolded
as told through the voice of an unseen narrator. Truly, the Noli reflected the lives of people
living in the complicated world of colonial Philippines.

CHARACTERS OF THE NOVEL

JUAN CRISÓSTOMO IBARRA Y MAGSALIN (IBARRA)
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. Due to his
extremely liberal education and contacts, the priests of San
Diego all treat him with considerable wariness. His father, Don
Rafael, who was similarly idealistic, was branded a subversive
and a heretic by the oppressive priesthood and imprisoned,
finally leading to his death. Ibarra hopes to establish a school in
San Diego to carry out the dreams and aspirations of his father,
but as a result of a plot led by the scheming Father Salví, he
becomes embroiled in disputes with the church and is forced to
leave San Diego. Ibarra usually wishes to work inside institutions
to change the Philippines, rather than abolish them, in
comparison to his more radical friend Elías, but he changes to
the values of Elías as the novel progresses.

RIZAL 1013- Life and Works of Rizal Module 5| 13

 MARIA CLARA

She is believed to be the daughter of Captain Tiago, a

lady of high social status, and the goddaughter of Father
Dámaso. Actually, she is Father Dámaso's biological
daughter, the result of a scandalous arrangement between the
old priest and the wife of Captain Tiago. María Clara grew up
alongside Ibarra and decided to marry him, but the marriage
was disapproved of by Father Dámaso. Her guardians set her
up to be married to Linares, a rich young man of Spanish
descent, after Ibarra is excommunicated from the church, and
she tries to go along with the arrangement to avoid upsetting
her father, the weak-willed Captain Tiago. She is coerced into
surrendering the letters Ibarra gave her as proof of his guilt as
Ibarra is put on trial for sedition. Ultimately, she refuses to
marry Linares and enters a convent when she learns about
Ibarra's sudden death.
FATHER DAMASAO

Father Dámaso is an aged, power-hungry and shamelessly

corrupt Spanish priest who, for nearly two decades, has
lived among the native Filipinos. The years have done little
to endear him or build much sympathy for his "flock,"
despite having spent all that time with them. He is deeply
racist, as well as petty and vindictive, and he thinks little
about using his immense influence to ruin the lives of
others who have slighted him, regardless of how minor the
crime is. He masterminded the assassination of Don
Rafael Ibarra, then taunted the younger Ibarra brazenly.
Ibarra threatens him after he openly insults Ibarra 's father
and he excommunicates Ibarra from the church. He is also
María Clara's godfather (and, technically, the biological
father), granting him control over her relationship with
Ibarra.

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 ELIAS

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. When Ibarra bravely saves him from a crocodile, he
crosses paths with the more temperate Ibarra. Elías
discovers a scheme against Ibarra 's life and deals closely
with him in the second half of the book. He and Ibarra had
some lengthy debates on the ethics of politics and
government, with a more revolutionary approach held by
Elias.

FATHER SALVI

A younger, more cunning Spanish priest who takes over the

role of Father Damaso as San Diego's Friar Curate. He is
more dangerous than his predecessor in many ways, as he
is a more skilled strategist who uses his religious position
for political influence and personal vendettas. He frequently
fights with the town's ensign
for power . His most
significant role in the novel
comes through his plot to
ruin Ibarra, who is engaged
to María Clara, who he is in
love with.
CAPTAIN TIAGO (DON
SANTIAGO DE LOS SANTOS)

Capitan Tiago is a rarity to the fact that he is a rich Filipino native.

Despite really showing little regard for religion, he retains strong
relations with high-ranking Catholic Church officials, and
shamelessly shares in the racial insults of others towards his own
people. His primary interest is to marry a wealthy man from a
prominent family with his daughter, María Clara. This is one of the
key reasons that when he is branded a subversive, he is able to
toss aside his loyalties to Ibarra. As a possible new fit for his
daughter, his desire for favorable social pairings makes him easy
to agree with Linares.

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 DOÑA CONSOLACION

Doña Consolación, the combative wife of The Ensign, is an

elderly Filipino woman who is ashamed of her ethnicity and who
pretends to be unable to understand Tagalog, her own native
tongue. She also argues with her husband and takes much of her
husband's decisions for him. She is proud, despite being
portrayed as very ugly, and she demands respect from everyone.

DON RAFAEL
IBARRA
The father of
Crisóstomo Ibarra is mentioned in the
novel posthumously. Critic of the corrupt practices
of the Spanish friars, he receives the wrath of
hateful Father Dámaso, who accuses him of
sedition and heresy. He dies in custody before his
name can be cleared. His remains are buried in
the Catholic cemetery in the town of San Diego,
but Father Dámaso employs a gravedigger to did
up his body to be buried in the Chinese cemetery
because of his status
as a heretic.

DOÑA VICTORINA

Doña Victorina, a brave and determined social climber

from the Philippines, is the wife of Tiburcio de Espadaña,
a fake doctor. Well past her prime, she depends on
garish make-up to take on the youthful façade. She
eagerly seeks to marry her nephew to María Clara,
perhaps as a way to further advance her social standing.

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 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.
Crispín is accused of taking
money from the church
suitcases by the head sexton
and is kept a virtual hostage until
the debt is settled. The night that
he and his brother visited their
mother, the head of the sexton
held them until the curfew,
essentially preventing the
brothers from moving. The head sexton beat him and he was
never seen again afterwards, potentially dying at the hands
of the ruthless head sexton, even though another church
official believed he had escaped.

BASILIO

Crispín's older brother is Basilio. Like his younger

brother, he works like a sexton. Basilio takes a desperate
run to their home the night that Crispín is taken away and
manages to find his younger brother the next day, but his
search efforts are fruitless. The next day, the Civil Guard
arrives to look for him and his brother. Fearing his life, he
escapes to the forest where he goes into hiding, staying
with a kind family until Christmas Eve. When he
eventually locates Sisa, he discovers that she has gone
insane because of her grief and is thus unable to
recognise him as her mother. He follows her to the trees,
where she momentarily regains her wits, and then dies
of shock.

SISA

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 She goes insane at the loss of her sons, the long-suffering
mother of sextons-in-training, Crispin and Basilio. Poor
and married to a brutal intoxicated man, she is only allied
with her sons. She wanders through the city, her clothing
tattered and her hair disheveled, and calls for her sons.
She is unable to remember him until she finally encounters
Basilio.

LT. 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. He is one of the few who support the Ibarras
publicly and he is outspoken about his disapproval of the
control of Father Dámaso. He tells Crisóstomo Ibarra of
his father's fate and of the role of Father Damaso in his
passing.

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.

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 FATHER SALVI

A priest serving in the Binondo district in the city of Manila,

Father Sibyla serves as a foil to the otherwise largely corrupt
Father Dámaso and the perverse Father Salví as he is
rational and calm. Father Sibyla is an adept and shrewd
orator who takes obvious delight in antagonizing the
pompous Father Dámaso at Ibarra’s return party.

Understanding the Themes of the Filipino Novel

"Noli Me Tangere"

Freedom from Spain

Noli Me Tangere portrays the hardships that

Filiipinos experienced during the Spanish
Regime. Rizal tried to expose all of these in this
novel and the ways Filipinos tried to gain
independence from Spain. This novel is a great
novel of how Filipinos were being maltreated.

Social Climbers
Just like in present times, social climbers also existed in 1900s in the Philippines. Rizal
included this mentality in the persona of Doña
Victorina and Capitan Tiago. These characters
as seen in the novel, tried to blend themselves
with higher classes and educated ones. Doña
Victorina, shows her eagerness to become
Spanish looking person. It is evident as she
likes to cover her face with too much makeup,
dressing like a Spanish woman, and speaking
the foreign language despite being Filipino.

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Abusive Power
Filipinos suffering from civil guards, friars and government officials
were excessive that hinders Filipinos to live freely day by day.
These were exposed by Rizal in the novel. One concrete
example was the death of his father, Don Rafael that made
Ibarra continuously seek for justice.

Family Devotion

One best trait of a Filipino is being family oriented. Rizal tried to highlight this in the
characters of Crisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara and Sisa. With the death of Don Rafael,
Ibarra traces all means to achieve justice for his father. Maria Clara being so kind and
obedient daughter to Capitan Tiago. Sisa, on the other hand, definitely shows her
devotion to her family by doing everything to serve her family. Considering her children
(Basilio and Crispin) as her treasures, she endures the trials she goes through just to
keep them secured.

Purity and Faithfulness

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Purity and Faithfuless is one of the highlights of the novel. Maria Clara, despite being
engaged to a Spaniard, she remained faithful to Ibarra to show her true love to the main
character. She preferred to become a nun and hence dies afterward when Padre Salvi
rapes her.

Patriotism

Patriotism could be one of the obvious themes of the novel. Aside from Ibarra which
obviously portrayed a man with patriotism, Elias created a revolt against the Spaniards,
findings all means to lead a revolution against the friars, civil guards and government
officials. Believing that God will bring forth justice over Filipinos depicts patriotism by all
means. These two characters badly want to be free from the oppressors.

REFERENCES

Textbooks

Rhodalyn, Wani-Obias et al. (2018). The Life and Works of Jose Rizal. C& E Publishing,
Inc Virlyn Francisco et al. (2018). Rizal, A modular Approach. MINDSHOPPERS CO.,
INC.

Gagelonia, Pedro A. Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings. National Bookstore, Inc., 1974

Online

Understanding the Themes of Themes of Filipino novel Noli Me Tangere, Bright Hub Education,
June 26, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2020 from

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 https://www.brighthubeducation.com/homework-help-literature/122053-themes-and-
historical-value-in-the-book-noli-me-tangere/

Noli Me Tangere Character, Grade Saver. Retrieved October 8, 2020 from

https://www.gradesaver.com/noli-me-tangere/study-guide/character-list

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