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Book Review: Noli Me Tangere

by Jose Rizal
I enjoyed this novel a lot. It’s a real page turner.

And this is surprising for me. We were required to read this in high school (I
think it’s still required reading in all Philippine schools, public and private,
but I may be wrong). Jose Rizal is one of our national heroes, and perhaps the
greatest. But back then I thought it was dry and boring. During Filipino class,
my mind wandered elsewhere. As a result, I failed to appreciate it.

What is the story about? (Spoilers ahead!)

Basically, Noli Me Tangere is a love story. The setting is 19th century Philippines,
during the latter years of the country as Spain’s only colony in Asia. So in the
background, there’s politics.

It’s a love story not only between two individuals, Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria
Clara de los Santos, but also between persons and the motherland.

The love stories are tragic. When I finished the novel, I got a bit depressed. But
that was just Rizal’s aim. He dedicated the novel to his country. What he did, or
what he promised to do, was hold up a mirror in front of Philippine society and
allow it to see the truth of its condition. The truth, as he saw it, was that the
Philippines is being eaten up by a social cancer. And his countrymen,
unfortunately, are asleep. They needed to be awakened from their slumber and
see the real state of things so that they can find freedom and happiness.

What is the social cancer?

Rizal
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 1. Corruption and abuse of power (By many of the friars and Spanish
administration officials);
2. Ignorance or lack of education;
3. Superstitious beliefs or lack of knowledge about one’s religion;
4. Hypocrisy of the friars;
5. Vices like gambling and tendency to gossip;
6. Indolence;
7. Passivity;
8. Cowardice; and
9. Lust

The question is, how faithfully did Rizal’s novel portray Philippine society? We
need to consult our history books for that.

Before reading this book, I used to think that the misery that the Filipinos in
Rizal’s time experienced was simply inflicted by the friars and Spanish officials.
In the Noli, however, it’s not as simple as that. There was an interplay of the
above factors: Yes, many of the friars were corrupt, hypocritical, and abusive,
but many of the common people were not entirely blameless. Many of the latter
were ignorant of their own religion; they held superstitious beliefs alongside
Catholic beliefs, even if the two are incompatible. Many were also fond of
gambling: For example, Sisa’s husband. His addiction to cock-fighting left him
and his family constantly in want of money, so that Sisa had to compensate by
working long hours and sending her two sons to the parish house to work under
extremely harsh and unjust circumstances. If her husband were more decent and
responsible, Sisa’s sons would’ve been spared and her sanity unharmed. So,
their family would’ve stayed intact. Many of the Filipinos were also passive and
cowardly. When they witnessed injustices done to their fellow indios, they did
nothing out of fear.

I think that the Noli does not really indict religion, or Catholicism, itself. It only
brings out as ugly, dangerous, and destructive corruption and hypocrisy.

What is the plot?

Here’s a sketch:

Crisostomo Ibarra is the son of a wealthy man in the town of San Diego. He is
half-Spanish and half-indio. The novel begins with a social gathering in the

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 house of one Captain Santiago. This party is well-attended by the who’s-who of
society: Padre Damaso, Padre Salvi, Padre Sibyla, a Spanish journalist, some
members of the Spanish army, and some members of the Philippine elite, like
the Españadas.

Ibarra arrived from Europe (after almost seven years, studying and travelling)
and joins the assembly. Padre Damaso quickly reveals himself as a very odious
man. In contrast, Padre Salvi is more quiet and mysterious, but many times
more conniving and downright sinister. They are Franciscans, so it’s highly
ironic that they’re not peace-loving, gentle, pure, honest, and holy.

Ibarra soon learns of his father’s fate. He is enraged, but he swallows his
bitterness and directs his energies to more constructive efforts, like gifting his
town with its own school, something that was sorely needed.

At first, Ibarra was quite optimistic. But he faced stiff and violent opposition
from his enemies, so in the end he was radicalized, with the help of the
mysterious Elias.

Maria Clara loves him dearly, but she is caught up in her own problems and
dilemmas. She’s trapped in a web of lies and evil and she couldn’t get away from
it.

The other interesting characters in the story are: Tasio, the philosopher; Sisa,
and her two sons; Captain Tiago; Aunt Isabel; the ensign and his wife, Doña
Consolacion; Don Tiburcio Españada, the quack doctor, and his wife, Doña
Victorina.

Like I said, the ending is pretty grim. So I’m looking forward to El Filibusterismo.

Why “Noli Me Tangere” (Touch Me Not)?

The phrase is taken from John 20:17:

“ Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet
ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am
going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'”

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 Perhaps Rizal was simply referring to the Spanish friars, like Padre Damaso and
Padre Salvi, who were corrupt and hypocritical but were “untouchables” because
of their power. Jesus was the Son of God and is therefore the “fountain of all
holiness”, but the friars were vile and violent, so it’s highly ironic that the
phrase should refer to them.

My Rating: 4/5
Date Read: August 19 – October 25, 2012

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book review fiction filipiniana imaginative literature jose rizal novel prose

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Dante in Book Review, Fiction, Filipiniana, Imaginative Literature, Jose
Rizal, Novel, Prose

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4 thoughts on “Book Review: Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal”

John Emmanuel E. Bernardino

July 31, 2013 at 6:02 pm

Natutunan kong dapat nating ipagtanggol ang ating bayan mula sa mga
mananakop katulad ng ginawa ng ating bayani na si Dr. Jose Rizal kahit ang
gamit natin ay ballpen o lapis at papel sapagkat ito’y malaking tulong sa ating
mga kababayan para magkaroon sila ng inspirasyon na lumaban sa mga
mananakop. Nalaman ko na dedikado talaga si Dr. Jose Rizal para maipamulat sa
atin ang lahat ng mga pinaggagagawa ng mga kastila sa ating bansa. Maganda

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 talagang pag-aralan ang subject na Rizal sapagkat madami kang matututunan
sa mga ginawa ng ating bayani.
John Emmanuel E. Bernardino
Contributor, http://www.ourhappyschool.com

Reply

Dante
July 31, 2013 at 10:03 pm

Hi,

You’re right, I agree.

Jose Rizal is and always will be a role model for every generation of Filipinos.

Reply

sam
September 5, 2015 at 10:57 pm

san po ba ang settings ng napakagandang nobelang ito? 🙂

Reply

Dante
September 13, 2015 at 5:12 pm

Philippines in the 19th century. 🙂

Reply

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