Kabanata I “Sa Ibabaw Ng Kubyerta”

The steamer Tabo makes its way up the Pasig river one December morning. On its upper deck is
Dona Victorina, traveling in search of her husband Don Tiburcio, who has fled from her abuse.
On deck too are Don Custodio, the writer Ben-Zayb and Padres Salvi, Sibyla, Irene and
Camorra, and the steamer’s captain. Also present is the jeweler Simoun, conspicuous for his long
white hair and large blue sunglasses. He is reputed to have advisory influence over the Captain-
General.
The group fall into discussing the winding path of the river. Simoun suggests digging a new
canal straight from the mouth of the river passing Manila, and closing old Pasig. To achieve this,
he further suggests the destruction of towns, using prisoners as laborers to eliminate the cost, and
increasing forced labor among men and boys. Don Custodio and Padre Sibyla bring up the
possibility of uprisings, which Simoun sharply dismisses, as he leaves the group to head below
deck.

Kabanata 2 “Sa Ilalim Ng Kubyerta”

Below deck, medical student Basilio and the young poet Isagani chat with Capitan Basilio. The
younger Basilio first updates the capitan on the lack of improvement in Capitan Tiago’s health
condition and supposed continued use of opium. Their conversation turns to the Spanish
language academy the young men are planning to start. Capitan Basilio is doubtful of their
success, but the young men calm his doubts by revealing they expect a permit soon, and that they
have teachers and funds contributed by fellow students. Their venue will be the house of a
student named Makaraig. Capitan Basilio accepts their explanation and heads off.
The young men move on to other topics including Paulita, Dona Victorina’s niece and Isagani’s
love interest; Dona Victorina’s hiring of Isagani to look for Don Tiburcio, and the fact that Don
Tiburcio is actually hiding in Isagani’s uncle’s house. Simoun joins them briefly, and Basilio
introduces him to Isagani.
Also below deck on the rear is Isagani’s uncle, Padre Florentino, now retired and with a fortune
left to him by his long departed mother in exchange for his agreeing to become a priest.

Kabanata 3 “Ang Mga Alamat”

Padre Florentino and Simoun join the group on the upper deck, and the captain launches into the
topic of legends about the Pasig river. He talks about Malapad-na-bato, believed to have been the
home of spirits but later became a bandits’ nest.
Padre Florentino next tells the story of Doña Jeronima, a woman who had grown old waiting for
her betrothed who had forgotten her and had gone on to become the Archbishop of Manila. To
appease her, he prepared a cave for her where she lived and died. Hearing this, Simoun turns to
Padre Salvi and pointedly remarks at how ungallant the Archbishop had been. He believes it
would have been more fitting if the lady were shut up in a nunnery like Santa Clara.
An uncomfortable Padre Salvi changes the topic and relates a legend of his own about an
unbelieving Chinaman who, when attacked by a cayman, invoked St. Nicholas, and the cayman
turned to stone.
As the steamer enters the lake, Ben-Zayb asks the captain where a certain Ibarra had been killed.
The captain gives a quick account of the pursuit on the lake thirteen years ago and indicates
where Ibarra had been lost.

Kabanata 4 “Si Kabesang Tales”

Herein is the story of Tandang Selo and his son Tales, old friends of Basilio.
Tales, experiencing some improvements in his family’s fortune, decides to clear a portion of the
woods to cultivate. During their first harvest, a religious corporation claims the land as their own
and charges Tales an annual fee. He pays dutifully, but begins to rebel when the fee becomes too
high. He takes the religious order to court, arms himself and begins patrolling his land. Tales
loses the case and ends up draining his resources. His only son, Tano, is conscripted, as he is
unable to pay for a substitute. Tano is later rumored to have either gone to the Carolines or
become a guardia civil. To make matters worse, bandits kidnap Tales and demand a ransom.
To save her father, Juli sells her belongings except for a locket Basilio gave her, a locket Basilio
received from a leper patient who in turn obtained if from Capitan Tiago’s daughter. To complete
the ransom amount, Juli borrows money from an old religious lady and agrees to work as a
servant to pay for it.

Kabanata 5 “ Ang Noche Buena Ng Isang Kuchero”

Basilio’s arrival in San Diego is delayed as his cochero had been detained and knocked about by
the guardia civil for forgetting his cedula. They are delayed a second time as they wait for the
Christmas procession to pass. The cochero envies the time of the saints, thinking there were no
civil guards then, else Methuselah, would not have lived to an old age, nor a black magi allowed
to be with the others.
As they continue down the road, Basilio notes the fewer ornaments and sounds of merriment,
and thinks this is because things had gone badly with agriculture, taxes had risen and civil guards
had become more abusive.
The cochero is stopped a second time for an unlighted coach lamp, so Basilio proceeds on foot.
Passing by Capitan Basilio’s house, he glimpses Simoun making deals with his jewelry with the
capitan, the curate and the alferez. Basilio does not think well of Simoun, who he thinks is
always going about something, and who, he has been told, sells his jewels for double the price he
bought them for.
Basilio reaches his guardian Capitan Tiago’s house where the old man narrates an assortment of
bad news including the kidnapping of Cabesang Tales.

Kabanata 6 “ Si Basilio”
Basilio steals out of the house at midnight and heads to the old wood previously owned by the
Ibarras, and now belonging to Capitan Tiago. He visits his mother’s grave by the balete tree and
recalls the night thirteen yeas ago when his mother died on the spot and a stranger came and
helped him bury his mother and burn the body of another stranger.
Basilio thinks back too on the events of his life since then. He had suffered hunger and poverty in
his journey to Manila in search of employment, until he was taken in as an unpaid servant at
Capitan Tiago’s house in exchange for permission to study.
Poor and badly dressed, he was shunned by his classmates and ignored by his teachers, so he was
unable to make a mark in his first three years. With continued diligence and hard work however,
he eventually distinguished himself in his studies and went on to study medicine.
In two months, Basilio is set to complete his medical studies and will cap his academic career as
commencement speaker. He plans to marry Juli.

Kabanata 7 “ Si Simoun”
Basilio is about to leave his mother’s tomb when he hears someone arrive. He sees Simoun, but
without the jeweler’s blue glasses, Basilio also recognizes the face of the man who helped him
bury his mother thirteen years ago. He concludes from the events and memories of the past, that
Simoun may actually be Ibarra.
Basilio reveals himself, and Simoun, to protect his secret identity, thinks of killing Basilio, but
decides instead to try to recruit Basilio to his cause. Simoun confesses that his goal is to destroy
society’s system of corruption by encouraging the vices and greed of the governing powers with
his wealth. This in turn has led to more injustices, poverty and misery, which he expects will
eventually push the downtrodden to rebel.
Simoun then mocks the youth’s desire for Hispanism and the teaching of Spanish, seeing it as a
means for the loss of nationality and the subjugation of the Filipino’s unique thought and feeling.
Simoun asks for Basilio’s help to convince the youth to abandon their calls for Hispanization.
Basilio declines, professing the task to be beyond his abilities. Simoun attempts a different
approach by reminding Basilio of the injustice his mother and brother suffered. Basilio remians
uncommitted.
Kabanata 8 “ Maligayang Pasko”
Early in the morning, Juli prepares to leave Tandang Selo to begin her new employment in
payment for the money loaned for her father’s ransom. She tries to keep her spirits up, but she is
miserable.
Later, when relatives come to visit Tandang Selo, they discover he has lost his ability to speak.

Kabanata 9 “ Si Pilato”
Certain townspeople do not feel particularly bothered by the misfortune of Tandang Selo and
Cabesang Tales’ family. The lieutenant of the guardia civil feels he did his duty by pursuing the
bandits when he could, while the local friar, Padre Clemente thinks Cabesang Tales is simply
being punished for resisting the friars.
Sister Penchang, the woman who employs Juli, believes bad things happen to sinners or to
people who have sinning relatives. She believes Juli is a sinning relative, and when she learns
that Basilio intends to ransom Juli from servitude, she believes Juli is a lost woman.
The friars win the case against Tales with finality, and they take his land and award it to a new
renter. Tales learns about this and the misfortunes of his father and daughter upon his return. At
the same time, he receives a court order to vacate his house.

Kabanata 10 “ Kayamanan at Karalitaan”

Simoun obtains temporary lodgings at Cabesang Tales’ house where the townspeople come to
see his jewels. They are both awed and terrified by Simoun’s display of excessive and dazzling
wealth. Aside from selling, Simoun also buys old jewelry from the townspeople and he asks if
Tales has any to sell. Maria Clara’s locket is of course in the house and when Simoun sees it, he
makes an offer for it. Tales asks to go to town to ask his daughter. Along the way, he sees the
friar administrator and the man awarded his land. A feeling of anger overcomes him.
In the morning, Simoun finds the locket and a note from Tales in his holster. Tales says he
intends to join some bandits and has exchanged the locket for Simoun’s gun. Guardia civil arrive,
but in the absence of Tales, they arrest Tandang Selo instead. Three people had been killed in the
night, the friar administrator, the man who had been given Tales’ land, and his wife, beside
whom was found a piece of paper with the name Tales written in blood.

Kabanata 11 “ Los Banos”

The Captain-General is on a working vacation in Los Baños. With him are some friars, Don
Custodio, Ben Zayb and Simoun. Among matters settled is the banning of one type of sport pistol
to prevent bandits from acquiring more, a decision that came as a result of Simoun’s having been
held up and losing his pistols to bandits. The Captain-General also settles the Tiani
schoolmaster’s appeal for a better building by suspending him for complaining.
The final point for discussion is the youth’s request to open an academy for studying Spanish.
Padre Sibyla opposes it as he thinks it is a form of rebellion, and a challenge to the prestige of
the University of Santo Tomas. Padre Camorra and Simoun are against it too. Padre Fernandez
believes it is a reasonable request and believes the people’s interests can eventually no longer be
denied. On his side are Padre Irene and Don Custodio.
Meanwhile, Juli is in the premises to request for the release of her grandfather, Tandang Selo.
Padre Camorra supports her petition and the Captain-General gives his approval.

Kabanata 12 “ Placido Penitente”

Placido Penitente walks reluctantly to the University of Santo Tomas. He wishes to withdraw
from his studies despite his having been previously known to be a good pupil in his province.
With him is Juanito Pelaez, a rich student and teacher’s pet who doesn’t care about his classes.
They arrive at the university entrance where other students gather around, some observing the
people arriving at the neighboring church. Among those seen is Paulita Gomez who notices and
smiles at Isagani. With Paulita is Doña Victorina who smiles at Juanito.
On their way to class, Placido is detained by a student attempting to convince him to sign a
protest against the proposed Spanish academy. As a result he is late for the class roll call, the
most important part of class. Placido decides to stay as it is nearly examinations and the teacher
hasn’t noticed him yet, as a result of which he may fail the school year.

Kabanata 13 “ Ang Klase Sa Pisika”

Padre Million asks students to recite lessons from memory, giving good grades to those who
make no mistakes. He calls on a student he sees yawning, and the student immediately launches
into a memorized lesson about the classification of mirrors, but is confused when Padre Million
asks him questions requiring analysis.
The professor next calls on his favorite, Juanito to answer a question about the composition of
mirrors. Juanito signals to Placido for answers, but Placido cannot help and is in turn called upon
by the professor. Placido is also unable to answer, and when the professor asks him to recite, he
makes mistakes, earning him a bad mark.
Padre Million further announces that Placido has had fifteen absences despite his having really
had fewer. Placido reasons that he could not have recited and been absent at the same time. Padre
Million insults him for philosophizing. Angered, Placido declares he has had enough and storms
off. Padre Million launches into a sermon about the ingratitude of the youth and the impertinence
of students requesting to establish an academy for teaching Spanish.
 5 ELEMENTS OF A NOVEL
• Tauhan
Binibigyang-buhay ng manunulat sa kaisipan ng mga mambabasa.
Dapat gumagalaw nang alinsunod sa hinihingi ng tunay na buhay.
• Tagpuan
Tumutulong sa pagbibigay ng linaw sa paksa, sa banghay at sa tauhan.
Halimbawa: Barong-barong sa gilid ng estero maharlikang palasyo ng hari
• Banghay
Ito ang salaysay o mga pangyayaring bumubuo sa akda o mga pangyayaring tungkol sa salaysay.
Balangkas ng mga pangyayari na inayos at pinag-ugnay ng isip.
• Paksa
Topiko
• Layunin
Pag-ibig
Historikal
Tauhan
Pagbabago
Politikal
Moral
Pang-ekonomiya at isyu sa paggawa
Layunin
Makasining
• Paano sinulat ang nobela:
Maligoy, mabulaklak o direkta ang pagkakapahayag ng manunulat sa kanyang pananalita.
Makabuluhan ba ang kanyang ginagamit na salita.
• Haba
Gaano kahaba ang nobela.
Ang haba ng nobela ay naaangkop rin sa layunin at paksa