1884- finished the first half in Madrid
Noli Me Tangere
-> 1884- 1887
-> Jose Rizal’s 1st novel
-> published on March 21, 1887
-> finished the first half in Madrid and second
half in Paris
-> published in Berlin
-> Touch Me Not or Social Cancer
The story line goes detail with the society of the
Philippines during Spanish colonization that
featured aristocracy behind poverty and abuse of
colonialists.
Biblical Reference:
Book of John (20:17)
- Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene
“ Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to
my Father”
Rizal intended to write things that were taboo in
the Philippines for centuries, the things that
people dared not to touch.
French- considered the language of the
intellectuals in Europe
Spanish- he intended to reach out his countrymen
in the Philippines
- to awaken the spirit of his country
Inspirations:
1. Spoliarium by Juan Luna
- depicted the sufferings faced by humanity in
the face of inequalities
2. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- dealt with slavery in America
Doña Concolacion
1885- finished the second half in Paris
1886- wrote the last few chapters in Wilhemsfeld
1887- made the final version in Madrid
- published in Berlin
- lack of funds delayed the publication
- a fellow Ilustrado helped him
Maximo Viola
- he offered and helped Rizal to get the novel published
- ser ved the Filipino people by supporting Rizal in his
Advocacy which is Nationalism -> Philippine Revolution
- he handed ₱300 for printing 2,000 copies
Espoused the Novel
1. Spanish clergy
2. Spanish colonial officials
3. Vicente Barrantes
Defenders of the Novel
1. Marcelo H. Del Pilar
2. Ferdinand Blumentritt
Prominent Characters
Juan Crisostomo Ibarra
-> represented the affluent and liberal European
educated Filipino a civic-minded, liberty-minded and
patriotic
-> he desired the education of his people
Maria Clara De Los Santos
-> she represened Filipino womanhood trained in a
convent and immersed in education basically religious in
orientation
Padre Damaso
-> a Spanish friar of Rizal’s time
-> he represents the Spanish government
Elias
-> represented the Filipino masses in the novel
-> as the symbol of the common people, he did
everything to vindicate them for the injustices
suffered form the Spaniards
-> symbolizes the purity and innocence of a sheltered
native woman
Sisa
-> the mother of Basilio and Crispin
-> symbolized a lot of things in the Filipino society during
Rizal’s time
-> typical characteristics of Filipino mothers willing to
defend their children from all forms of injustice and
accusations
Padre Salve
-> represents the clergy during the time who disguised the
yearnings of the flesh under the authority of the church to
get what they want
Capitan Tiagao
-> Don Santiago de los Santos
-> a rich landlord whose wealth was derived from his
involvement in the illegal opium trade and
-> represent the subser vient Filipino to the authorities to
protect his personal and business interests
Crispin and Basilio
-> siblings
-> represent the innocents who have been wrongly accused
of the crime they did not commit
Social Issues:
1. Colonialism, Religion and Power
-> the novel examines hoehow Spain’s colonization of the
Philippines allowed the Catholic Church to dominate and
rule the region
2. Revolution and Reform
-> because Spanish friars and Spanish colonial government
had such control over the Philippines, Rizal naturally
focuses much of his attention on the possibility of political
3. Education
-> a way of overcoming oppression
4. Isolation
-> political isolation, religious isolation, education isolation
 What is the importance of Noli in 21st Century?
- Noli Me Tangere is a wake up call for revolution
- it is very relevant to study in the present
condition of the Philippines because it tackled
deeply rooted problems that are embedded in
human behavior and psychology that can
withstand the test of time
- it is important that one will understand and
visualize the ever brooding social cancer Rizal
has spoken of his time and reflect upon the
current social landscape
- it was the core problem that Rizal tried to
address by empowering Filipinos to realize the
oppression they were under during the Spanish
era and they had the right to be free and to be a
Filipino
This story contains a lot of symbolism and real-life
incidents that inspired the Filipino people to organize
a revolt and oust the Spanish colonizers under the
Spanish colonialism. Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal
encourages us to consider what we do and believe in
relation to our nation. The novel's concept of
promoting nationalism and accepting change in
oneself is still relevant today. We must support our
nation by upholding the law, supporting Philippine
culture, and attaining the genuine objective of the
country by working together to develop it. It instills
in us the qualities of knowledge, standing up for
what is right, and embracing our nation. This novel is
being taught in schools in order to avoid repeating
history by teaching our children how to appreciate
our nation and to engage them as leaders of change
for the betterment of our nation. Being a real
Filipino is what Jose Rizal wishes for us to be;
knowing who we are and what our true aims are
would help the country thrive.
https://amberclarisse0928.medium.com/noli-me-
tangere-a-wake-up-call-book-of-
revolution-9268a46b13d6
What is the moral lesson of Noli Me Tangere
El Filibusterismo and El Filibusterismo?
-> The narrative of Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo sends a social message that
-> The Reign of Greed citizens should be the leaders of their
-> published on September 18, 1891 government, not the other way around. That
strength is found in the amount of individuals
What is the main purpose of El Filibusterismo? who wish to change things or give voice to
Rizal wrote El Filibusterismo in dedication to the three those who face injustice.
martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto -> Jose Rizal's novels Noli Me Tangere (Touch
Zamora, who were accused of being “filibustero” expressing Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of
conviction that their treatment and deaths at the hands of the Greed) were significant literary pieces that
Spanish authorities was unjust. paved the way for our independence. It
narrates how Filipinos suffer under the
Why is it called El Filibusterismo? Spanish colonization and the importance of
-> Inspired by what the word filibustero connoted in relation to fighting against social injustices to attain
the circumstances obtaining in his time, and his spirits freedom.
dampened by the tragic execution of the three martyred
priests, Rizal aptly titled the second part of the Noli Me
Tangere, El Filibusterismo.
What can you say about it?
-> This novel tell us how cruel and how purely evil the Spaniards
was. Nevertheless, it also tackles the bravery of the Filipino
community. It shows the unimagined bravery of our countrymen
on fighting the greediness and cruelty of the Spaniards.
When did Rizal first hear the word Filibustero?
-> He heard it during the tragic executions of the Gomburza took
place and their father forbade them to use it.
What does filibustero mean?
-> The phrase 'filibustero' denotes subversive, dissident,
rebellious, seditious, insurgent,and treacherous in this context.
The novel's moral is clear: the current system of
administering the Philippines through corrupt and self-
seeking bureaucrats, ruled by the friars and subser vient to
their interests in some way, can only cause tragedy for
Spain.
 Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas
- by Antonio de Morga
- Events in the Philippine Islands
- published in 1609 in Mexico
What was it all about?
-> The title literary means Events in the Philippine Islands
and thus the books primary goal is a documentation of
events during the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines
as obser ved by the author himself. The book also includes
Filipino customs, traditions, manners, and religion during the
Spanish conquest.
Why did Rizal wrote his annotation?
- To correct or comment on the details that is written by
Morga in the book
- To defend the Filipinos
-Rizal wanted a history of that is written from the
viewpoint of an Indio
Purposes for Rizal’s annotation:
1. Awaken the unconsciousness of the Filipinos of their
glorious ways of the past
2. Correct what has been distorted about the Philippines due
to Spanish conquest
3. Proved that Filipinos are civilized even before the coming
of the Spaniards
Reasons why Rizal chose Morga’s Book:
1. The original book was rare
2. Morga was a layman and not a religious chronicler
3. He felt that Morga is more objective than the religious
writers whose accounts included many miracle stories
4. Morga, compared to religious chroniclers was more
sympathetic to indios
5. Morga was not only an eyewitness but a major actor in
the events he narrates
The Philippines A
Rizal’s Annotations
-> The importance of Rizal’s annotation to
Century Hence
Morga was that he tried to use history and - Jose Rizal
historical revisions not just to express his - published in 1889 in Spain (Sept. 1889- Jan. 1890)
personal views on the historiography, but to
- socio-politics
create a sense of national consciousness or -“Filipinas Dentro De Cien Años”
identity
- magazine La solidaridad
-> Rizal emphasizes that Morga was the
evidence and the primary source of history in
-> an essay written by Philippine national hero Jose Rizal
the Philippines. Rizal argued that the Filipinos to forecast the future of the country within a hundred
before has their own culture and did not require years. Rizal felt that it was time to remind Spain that the
a new religion or civilization from Spain circumstances that ushered in the French Revolution could
have a telling effect for her in the Philippines
Ferdinand Blumentritt -> The essay talked about the glorious past of the
- The one who wrote the introduction of Rizal’s
Philippines, recounted the deterioration of the economy
annotation and exposed the causes of the natives’ sufferings under
- He was also the one who gave Rizal the first
the cruel Spanish Rule
criticism of his annotation -> When Rizal wrote this four-part sociopolitical essay,
his intention was only to remind Spain of what would
The work greatly impress the Philippine happen to her relationship with the Philippines if she
national hero, Jose Rizal. That’s why he decided
continues her maltreatment over the natives.
to annotate it and publish a new edition, and
began working on it in London and completing it
Among the various causes of the sorrows suffered by the
in Paris in 1890. Philippine natives were:
1. Spain’s implementation of its military policies
> Rizal took four months for research and 2. Deterioration and disappearance of Filipino indigenous
writing, and one year to have his manuscript culture
printed
3. Passivity and submissiveness to the Spanish colonizers
> The annotation consisted of 8 chapters. First
seven chapters were on the events during the
time of the first 11 governor generals in the
Philippines
> last chapter was focused on customs of the
Filipinos. His notes were of the three categories,
anti-clerical, socio-logical and historical.
The Indolence of the Filipinos To the Filipino Youth
- Jose Rizal - published 1879
- published in 1890 in Madrid - A la Juventud Filipina
- La Solidaridad
-> The poem “To the Filipino Youth” by Dr. Jose Rizal is a message
-> It was written by José Rizal as a response to the primarily to tell the importance of the youth and their
accusation of Indio or Malay indolence. He admits the capability to shape the future of our Motherland. Dr. Jose
existence of indolence among the Filipinos, but it could be Rizal also expresses his optimism despite the turmoil our
attributed to a number of reasons. He wrote it to continue country was in during his time.
his battle for Filipino education, in which he aimed to
awaken the Filipinos to Spain's corrupt and defective -> He described the Filipino youth as innovative, bright, and
colonization system by telling the truth. patriotic in his times. But as time passed by, many things have
changed and the Filipino youth had also become a subject of it.
-> In the essay “The indolence of Filipinos”, Jose Rizal Our generation is surrounded by many influences, especially by
stressed on the factors that contributed to the laziness the social media.
and the slow progress of Filipinos based on his premises,
because during the time of Spanish colonization, Filipinos are -> The poem reminds us that we, as Filipino youth, have a duty
forced to work for the Spaniards without any payments or to ser ve our countrymen to our full extent. In order to do this,
any amount of wage to compensate their hard work. we must harness talents and skills that we have. We must also
take initiative to help our country. Everyone of us can be able
Issue raised in the essay: to contribute to the better development of our country.
1. Establishment of Galleon Trade cut off all previous
associations of the Philippines with other countries in Asia
and Middle East
2. Spain extinguished the natives love of work because of
the implementation of forced labor
3. Spain did not protect the people from foreign invaders and
pirates
4. There was crooked system of education
5. Spanish rulers were a bad example to despise manual labor
6. Gambling was established and widely propagated during
those times
7. Crooked system of religion
8. Taxes were extremely high that a hu ge portion of what
they learned went to government or to the friars