NOLI ME TANGERE
The Name and Printing of the Novel
❑ Inspiration of Noli Me Tangere
❑ The Name and Printing of the Novel
❑ Reactions to Noli Me Tangere
The novel was planned to be written by a
group of Filipinos in Madrid. The project was
approved by Valentin Ventura, JulioLlorente,
Melecio Figueroa, Evaristo Aguirre, Pedro
Maximo, Antonio Paterno, and Graciano Lopez
Jaena.
unfortunately, the project did not push through
because of studies and various interests of the
writers
Jose Rizal decided to write the novel alone.
The original title of the novel was Social
Cancer. However, Noli Me Tangere is the
popular title of this novel.
Inspiration of Noli Me Tangere
o Rizal was inspired by Harriet
Beecher Stowe’s novel
entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
This novel describes the
American slavery system
during the 19th century.
❖ Harriet Beecher Stowe
was an American
abolitionist (a person who
supports anti-slavery
campaign) and author.
o Rizal also wanted to expose
the abuses and brutalities
committed by the Spanish
authorities in the Philippines.
John 20:17
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I
have not yet returned to the Father. Go
instead to my brothers and tell them, „I
am returning to my Father and your
Father, to my God and your God‟”.
Jose Rizal got the name of his first novel based
on that particular Bible passage (“Do not hold on
to me” or “Touch menot” in other Bible
interpretations).
o The title of the novel can be found in the
Gospel of St. John Chapter 20 Verse 17.
The following presents the Latin
translationof this verse.
“decit ei lesus noli me tangere
nondum enim ascendi ad Patrem
meum vade autem ad fraters
meos et dice is ascend ad
Partrem meum et Patrem
vestrum et Deum meum et Deum
vestrum”
❖ The phrase is originally stated by
Jesus Christ to Mary Magdalene
when He resurrected.
o Noli Me Tangere is considered a
realist novel in which it exposed
brutal acts and unfair practices of
Spaniards against Filipinos. It also
provided a clear picture on what the
Philippine society was like during
the Spanish era.
o Rizal already completed his course at
the Universidad Central de
Madrid when he wrote half of the
novel.

o Rizal finally completed all the
chapters of the novel in 1886
(Wilhelmsfeld, Germany).
❖ It was unfortunate that Jose
Rizal could not print the novel
because of lack of funds which
was brought about by his
family‟s financial hardships in
Calamba.
❖ Maximo Viola was the one who
helped Rizal to publish his
novel.
Maximo Viola (1857-1933)
He was born in San Miguel de Mayumo,
Bulacan on October 7, 1857.
He studied Medicine at the University of
Santo Tomas. He was already 25 years old
(1882) when he went to Spain to continue
his studies at the University of Barcelona.
Subsequently, he became a doctor in 1886.
After his arrival in Spain, he was welcomed
by a sickly, thin, and penniless Rizal.
He was known as the principal publisher of
Rizal‟s Noli because he shouldered the
printing cost of the said novel.
After supporting Rizal in his sojourn in
Europe, hewent back to the Philippines to
spearhead a revolution against the
Spaniards.
Because of his involvement in different
revolutionary activities in the Philippines,
he was held captive until he was freed by
Dr. Preshell, anAmerican who helped gain
his freedom.
After his captivity and freedom, he
continued his profession as a doctor of
medicine. He also spent hisretirement age
in creating furniture made from kamagong.
He died of cancer on September 3, 1933 in
his hometown.
There was a point when Jose Rizal
attempted to throw the original manuscript
of the novel to the fire because of
frustration and disappointment.
Reactions to Noli Me Tangere
o The printed copies of Noli Me
Tangere were released on
March 21, 1887.
❖ The name of the printing
shop was Berliner
Buchdruckrei-Action
Gesselschaft. The printing
cost was only 300 pesos at
2,000 copies.
o Proud of his masterpiece, Rizal gave
the first printed copies of his novel
to the following:
❖ Ferdinand Blumentritt
• He said to Rizal, “The Noli
was written with the blood
of your heart.”
Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
He was a Spanish diplomat and
propagandist who supported the
Secularization Movement led by Father
Jose Burgos and Father Pedro Pelaez.
According to him, Rizal‟s Noli Me Tangere
can be compared to Quixote, a popular
Spanish novel written by Miguel de
Cervantes Saavedra. Like the Noli Me
 Tangere, Quixote discloses the ailments of novel was published in 1605.
Spain to the entire world. The Spanish
Marcelo H. del Pilar heretical, subversive, and
immoral.

Known as the “Great o On December 28, 1887, Father

Propagandist,” Del Pilar was a Salvador Font (anAugustinian
lawyer and an editor of La priest and curator of Tondo
Solidaridad, which was the most and Chairman of the
famous newspaper by Filipino Permanent Commission of
exiles in Spain campaigning for Censorship) ordered to
reforms inthe Philippines. prohibit the distribution,
del Pilar defended the novel reading, and discussion of the
(under the pen name Dolores contents of the novel.
Manapat) from the attacks of
Father JoseRodriguez‟s Caiingat
Cayo. He published a
counter-attack against the Spanish Prepared by: C.ENCABO
friar‟s pamphlet titled Caiigat
Cayo (Be Slippery as an Eel).

After some copies of the novel

reached the Philippine soil, the
Noli was bombarded by the
attacks of both the Spanish
government officials and friars.
Fortunately, the novel found an
ally in the church when Father
Vicente Garcia defended the novel
under the pen name
JustoDesiderio Magalang

Father Garcia wrote a very

courageous defense of the Noli,
claiming among other thingsthat
Rizal cannot be an ignorant man,
being the product of Spanish
officials and
corrupt friars. He himself who had
warned the people of committing
mortal sin ifthey read the novel
had therefore committed such sin
for he had read the novel.
o When the novel was read by
the Spanish authorities, they
immediately considered it as