LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL

Noli Me Tangere
It was published in 1887 in Berlin, Germany through the financial aid
from Maximo Viola. The title means “Touch Me Not”. It is a Latin version of
words spoken by Jesus in Mary Magdalene after the resurrection (John 20:13-17).
The original English translation is ‘The Social Cancer’. In the introduction, Jose
Rizal dedicated the novel to the Philippines [‘fatherland’] hoping that by exposing
the social cancer, reforms will be granted for its improvement. It was written in
Spanish which intended to raise political consciousness in relation to the current
state of affairs in the Philippines. Jose Rizal hoped that through this novel, Spain
the mother country will be aware of the conditions of the Philippines and grant
her the needed reforms for the betterment and progress of the country and its
people.
El Filibusterismo
It was published in 1891 in Brussels, Belgium through the financial aid from
Valentin Ventura. The title was derived from the word filibustero a word which
according to Jose Rizal was little known by the Filipinos at that time and that the
educated class feared the reach of the word. This word was also used by the Spanish
authorities to refer to a revolutionary person. Rizal further defined filibustero as a
dangerous patriot who will soon be hanged or a presumptuous man. Jose Rizal
dedicated the novel to the GOMBURZA –the three priests who were executed in
Bagumbayan for being implicated in the Cavity Mutiny in 1872. Like the Noli Me
Tangere, it was written in Spanish and intended to raise political consciousness in relation
to the state of affairs in the Philippines observed by Rizal. The theme of the El
Filibusterismo focuses on revolution as an alternative solution to reforms that failed to
create significant change in the country. However, Jose Rizal also emphasized the danger
of a revolution that is built upon hatred and vengeance or personal vendetta.
Etikang Tagalog/Makamisa
It is considered as the third and unfinished novel of Jose Rizal. It is
believed that Rizal started writing this in 1892 while he was in Hong Kong.
The manuscript was first compiled under the drafts of the Noli Me Tangere and
was only discovered in 1987 by Prof. AmbethOcampo. ‘Makamisa’ is the title
given by Prof. AmbethOcampo who wrote the English translation of the novel.
‘Etikang Tagalog’ is the title given by Dr. NiloOcampo who wrote the Tagalog
translation of the novel. The third novel is considered as more anti-clerical, satirical and humorous
compared to the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Jose Rizal began writing the novel in the Tagalog language and dedicated this to the
Filipinos. However, Rizal experienced difficulty in writing in Tagalog so he continued
writing it in Spanish.Rizal tried not to deal with politics in the novel and concentrated on
the qualities and defects of the Spanish clergies embodied by the character of Padre
Agaton and of the Filipinos.