Daud, Hidaya P.

GEC 109 A6-4 Life and Works of Rizal

October 7, 2021

“Compare and differentiate the elements of the plot, the main

characters of Rizal's two great novel's Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, and their sociological, and philosophical
manifestations in the real events of the 19th Century”

The book of Jose Rizal had impacted the Filipinos. Rizal’s

writing is to promote independence and fuel the nationalism of
Filipino citizens in such a way by changing something that is
inappropriate through voicing out those who had been suffering
from injustices. It is a kind of message that encourages the Filipino
citizens that they should be the leaders of their own country.

In the book of Noli Me Tangere, where it is his first novel to

be published was a novel which is dedicated to his country. The
novel is about the uncovering of the wrongdoing of Spanish rule. It
is where he states the untold stories behind colonialism. Rizal
presented in his book the brutal behavior of the friars in the
Philippines. The title of Noli Me Tangere is in Latin, not in Tagalog,
and also not in Spanish. The book of Noli Me Tangere translated in
English means “Touch me not” where he is the main protagonist in
the said novel. This novel focused on the suffering experienced by
the Filipinos during the ruling of Spaniards. He states in the book
how the Philippines is suffering from social cancer by the hands of
the Spanish friars and at the same time the corruption of the
officials which urged him to write and publish it. It is somewhat
hopeful in a way to strengthen the power of Filipinos in order to
stop being ignorant and to independently attain the freedom that
Filipino deserve throughout those years. The plot in the novel, Noli
Me Tangere is to encourage the Filipino to aspire for a redo and
liberation for its country. It also shows romance but more on the
socio history of the Philippines. The issues being shown in the
novel had awakened the awareness of the Filipino to initiate Filipino
nationalism. The succession of Noli Me Tangere into a
controversial one, has led Rizal to write the sequel of the said
novel, known as the El filibusterismo.
 On the other hand, the book El filibusterismo is about
whether the Filipino citizens should engage in war peacefully or
violently. Rizal mentioned in El filibusterismo that with the
weakness of Filipino citizens, it is too far to have a successful
nation. Accordingly, Rizal considered El fili to be a more profound
novel when compared to Noli, as the book reveals a more mature
perspective regarding the social situation and politics in the
Philippines. In terms of the national identity of Filipinos, the issues
of the authorities from abuse, discrimination, and corruption, the
catholic faith that had brought an enigma to the lives of Filipino to
pledge the cause for independence in the Philippines. It simply
urged the Filipino citizens to finally fight regarding the maltreatment
of the Spanish government even if engaging in war is the only
option.

If we have to compare the two novels written by Jose Rizal,

Noli is known to be a romantic novel wherein it is focused on the
love story of the two Maria Clara and Ibarra. But then, it doesn’t
stop there. The abuse of the friars to the Filipino Indios was also
mentioned. While El fili is more likely a political novel about the rise
of rebellion during the Spanish rule. The romance wasn’t there
anymore. Noli Me Tangere contains 64 chapters while El
filibusterismo contains 38 chapters. They are both written in
Spanish. There are characters from Noli Me Tangere appearing in
El filibusterismo like Ibarra and Simoun and also characters who
were not comprehend in the novel Noli but came across in El fili.

"Noli Me Tangere" is translated to "Touch Me Not" or "The

Social Cancer," while "El Filibusterismo" is translated to "The Reign
of Greed." Both novels had gone deeper in such a way into
understanding the struggles of the Filipino in their own country.
Mostly, the real life characters in both novels had an imposing
personality and at the same time the highlighted plot which directed
the real and exact situation of Filipinos during the Spanish colonial
rule.

As of today, the influence of these colonizers had totally

changed our way of life. Though we do not dwell on the past
anymore, they still exist as a part of our history that serves a lesson
to never repeat them. Our ancestors who stayed vigilant till the end
will always be acknowledged for their contributions and sacrifices in
a sense that had successfully changed our lives today.