Plot

- 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 ILLUSTRADO. 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 GREAT FOR IBARRA. UPON HIS RETURN, HE
LEARNED ABOUT THE ILLS THAT OVERWHELMEDHIS TOWN AS WELL AS THE ABUSES OF
THE FRIARS TO WHICH HIS LATE FATHER FELL VICTIM TO, IBARRA FOUND ANTAGONIST
IN PADRE DAMASO, THE FORMER CURATE OF SAN DIEGO WHO ORDERED THAT THE
CORPSE OF HIS FATHER BE DISCLOSED AND REBURRIED IN THE CHINESE CEMETERY

- DESPITE THESE PERSONAL TRAVIALS, 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 OR
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 UNVITED. IN A FIT OF ANGER, IBARRA TOOK A KNIFE
AGAINST DAMASO’S NECK THREATENED SLIT HIS THROAT AS HE TOLD EVERYONE TO
THE ABUSES COMMITTED BY DAMASO AND THE DESECRATION HE DID TO IBARRA’S
FATHER. MARIA CLARA CALMED IBARRA AND PREVENTED HIM FROM KILLING THE
FRIAR.

- DAMASO IN AN ACT OF REVENGE, CONVINCED CAPITAN TIAGO, THE FATHER OF MARIA

CLARA, TO NOT ALLOW HIS DAIGHTER 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
CLAEA WHO WAS SOON MARRYING THE MAN HER FATHER CHOSE FOR HER. IN A
HEARTHBREAKING CONFRONTATION, IBARRA AND MARIA CLARA EXCHANGED
ACCUSATIONS AND IN THE PROCESS, IT WAS REVEALED THAT DAMASO WAS THE TRUE
FATHER OF MARIA
CLARA.
- 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 THOURGH THE VOICE OF AN UNSEEN
NARRATOR. TRULY, THE PAGES OF THE NOLI REFLECTED THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN
THE COMPLICATED WORLD OF COLONIAL PHILIPPINES.