Chapter 8: Noli me Tangere Published in Berlin (1887)

The bleak winter of 1886 in Berlin was Rizal’s darkest winter because no
money arrived from Calamba and he was flat broke. The diamond ring which
his sister, Saturnina, gave him was in the pawnshop. It was memorable in the
life of Rizal for two reasons (1) it was a painful episode for he was hungry,
sick and despondent in a strange city (2) it brought him great joy after
enduring so much sufferings, because his first novel, Noli Me Tangere came
off the press in March, 1887. Like to the legendary Santa Claus, Dr. Maximo
Viola, his friend from BULACAN, arrived in BERLIN at the height if his
despondency and loaned him the needed funds to publish the novel.
Idea of Writing a Novel on the Philippines
• His reading of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin - inspired Dr.
Rizal to prepare a novel that would depict the miseries of his people (Filipinos)
under the lash of Spanish tyrants.
• January 2, 1884- in a reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno residence in
Madrid, Rizal proposed the writings of a novel about the Philippines by a
group of Filipinos. His proposals were approved by PATERNOS (Pedro,
Maximo and Antonio), Graciano Lopez JAENA, Evaristo AGUIRRE, Eduardo DE
LETE, Julio LLORENTE, Melecio FIGUEROA and Valentin VENTURA.
The Writing of the Noli
• Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid and
finished about one-half of it.
• When Rizal went to Paris, in 1885, after completing his studies in the
Central University of Madrid,
he continued writing the novel, finishing one half of the second half.
*Rizal finished the last fourth of the novel in Germany. He wrote the last few
chapters of the Noli in Wilhelmsfeld in April-June, 1886.
In Berlin during the winter days of February, 1886, Rizal made the final
revisions on the manuscript of the Noli Viola, Savior of the Noli
• Dr. Maximo Viola- Rizal’s rich friend from Bulacan,
arrived in Berlin at the height of Rizal despondency and loaned him the
needed funds to publish the novel; Viola was shocked to find RIZAL in a dirty
place, just not to waste money for the printing of NOLI ME TANGERE.
• After the Christmas season, Rizal put the finishing
touches on his novel. To save printing expenses, he deleted certain passages
in his manuscript, including a whole chapter —“Elias and Salome”.
• February 21, 1887- the Noli was finally finished
and ready for printing.
• Berliner Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft- a
printing shop which charged the lowest rate, that is, 300 pesos for 2,00
copies of the novel Rizal Suspected as French Spy. During the printing of
NOLI, the chief of police BERLIN visit RIZAL’s boarding house and requested
to see his passport, unfortunately, that time to travel with or without
passports is possible. The police chief then told him to produce a passport
after 4 days. Immediately VIOLA accompanied RIZAL in the Spanish
Ambassador, the COURT of BENOMAR, who promised to attend to the matter.
But the ambassador failed to keep his promise, but it turns out that he had no
power to issue the required passport. The 4 day ultimatum expired. RIZAL
himself apologize to the chief police, while asking why has he to be deported,
the police chief answered that he was always seen visiting many villages,
thereby pronouncing him as a French SPY. RIZAL in fluent GERMAN explained
to the police, that he was a Filipino ethnologist, who visits rural areas to
observe customs and lifestyles of their simple inhabitants. The chief
impressed and fascinated on RIZAL’s explanation, allowed him to stay freely
in GERMANY.
Printing of the Noli Finished
Every day, Rizal and Viola were always at the printing shop proof reading the
printed pages.
• March 21, 1887- the Noli Me Tangere came off the press, RIZAL
immediately sent the first copies to BLUMENTRITT, DR. ANTONIO REGIDOR,
G. LOPEZ JAENA, MARIANO PONCE, and FELIX R. HIDALGO.
“I am sending you a book, my first book… bold book on the life of tagalongs…
Filipinos will find it the history of the last ten years…”
• March 29, 1887- Rizal, in token of his appreciation
and gratitude, gave Viola the galley proofs of the Noli carefully rolled around
the pen that he used in writing it and a complimentary copy, with the
following inscription: “To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and
appreciate my work—Jose Rizal”

The Title of the Novel

The title Noli Me Tangere is a Latin phrase which means “Touch Me Not”. It is
not originally conceived by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from the Bible.
• Rizal, writing to Felix Hidalgo in French on March 5,
1887, said: “Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel of St. Luke,
signify “do not touch me” but Rizal made a mistake, it should be the Gospel of
St. John (Chapter 20 Verses 13 to 17).
“Touch me not; I am not yet ascended to my father...”
• Rizal dedicated his Noli Me Tangere to the
Philippines—“To My Fatherland”.
• The cover of Noli Me Tangere was designed by
Rizal. It is a ketch of explicit symbols. A woman’s head atop a Maria Clara
bodice represents the nation and the women, victims of the social cancer.
One of the causes of the cancer is symbolized in the friar’s feet, outsized in
relation to the woman’s head. The other aggravating causes of oppression
and discrimination are shown in the guard’s helmet and the iron chains, the
teacher’s whip and the alferez’s scourge. A slight cluster of bamboo stands at
the backdrop; these are the people, forever in the background of their own
country’s history. There are a cross, a maze, flowers and thorny plants, a
flame; these are indicative of the religious policy, the misdirected ardor, the
people strangled as a result of these all.
• The novel Noli Me Tangere contains 63 chapters
and an epilogue.
• Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor- Filipino patriot and
lawyer, who had been exiled due to his complicity in the Cavite Mutiny of
1872, read avidly the Noli and was very much impressed by its author.
Characters of Noli
• The Noli Me Tangere was a true story of the
Philippine conditions during the last decades of Spanish rule.
• Maria Clara - was Leonor Rivera, although in real
life she became unfaithful and married an Englishman.
• Ibarra and Elias - represented Rizal himself.
• Tasio - the philosopher was Rizal’s elder brother
Paciano.
• Padre Salvi - was identified by Rizalists as Padre
Antonio Piernavieja, the hated Augustinian friar in Cavite who was killed by
the patriots during the Revolution.
• Capitan Tiago - was Captain Hilario Sunico of San
Nicolas.
• Doña Victorina - was Doña Agustina Medel.
• Basilio and Crispin - were the Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy.
• Padre Damaso - typical of a domineering friar
during the days of Rizal, who was arrogant, immoral and anti-Filipino.