HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and Sciences

J.A Clarin St., Tagbilaran City

GEC RIZAL: The Life and Works of Rizal

Lesson 10: Noli Me Tangere, Context and Continuing Relevance
Learning Outcome: To manifest respect and reverence for the achievements,
ideas and ideals of Rizal especially through his writing and relate the issues raised
in the novels to the changing landscape of the contemporary world.
Learning Targets:
At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:
a) appreciate the importance of Rizal as a thinker; and
b) relate the issues raised in the novel to the changing landscape of the
contemporary world.

Concept Notes:

I. INTRODUCTION

While the Noli Me Tangere triggered social conversations in the late nineteenth
century Philippines, it is important to note how the novel continues to resonate
beyond its time. The success of Rizal's novel also rests on its timelessness in terms
of present-day social issues and political/economic realities. In this lesson, Noli's
legacy and continuing relevance will be explained as a text not only in the field
of literature but also in the areas of history and the social sciences. The chapter
will also look at Rizal as a social scientist who espoused early articulations of a
social-scientific manner of understanding and presenting the way of life, in this
case, within a colonial context. The lesson will start with a discussion of the
incarnations of the Noli as it was published after Rizal's time.

II. DISCUSSION

Noli After Its First Publication

At present, Noli Me Tangere is considered by many as a landmark piece

of literature. In his account of the literary history of the Philippines, scholar Resil
Mojares even went to the extent of naming Rizal as the father of the Filipino
novel (Testa-De Ocampo, 2011). As already discussed in the previous chapter,
the themes of the novel revolved around societal issues experienced in the
Philippines under the Spanish colonial rule. As such, the novel did not go
unnoticed and became a subject of discussion and debate.

In the immediate months and years after its release in 1887, the Noli
generated reactions from readers, Filipinos and foreigners alike. Responses
ranged from praise to outright ridicule. One sector that espoused utmost disdain
for the novel was the Spanish clergy as well as some Spanish colonial officials. It
is thus understandable that Spanish friars vehemently prohibited the circulation
of the novel in 1887 when Fray Salvador Font, chair of the censorship
commission, outlawed the reading and possession of Rizal's novel. Many other
friars assessed and judged the book as pernicious. They enjoined devout
Catholics not to read the novel to avoid committing capital sins. Not only
confined in the Philippines, critiques of the novel coming from Spanish officials
and academics also circulated in Spain. One staunch critic of the novel was the
Spanish academic Vicente Barrantes who wrote several articles in Spanish
newspapers ridiculing Rizal as a “man of contradictions." Barrantes lamented
that Rizal's lambasting of the friars and the Spaniards was reflective of the author
and telling more about the Filipinos.

As much as Rizal's critics came from various sectors, his novel also found
ardent defenders among his peers. Many of his colleagues in the Propaganda
Movement praised his novel. One example is Marcelo H. del Pilar who even
wrote essays in response to critics of the Noli. Rizal's friend, Ferdinand
Blumentritt, also an academic, also expressed support for the novel.

As the Noli stirred controversy in social circles in nineteenth century

Philippines, it is remarkable to realize that even beyond its time, the novel
continued to be a subject of debate and discussion. In the immediate years
after its publication, the Noli was translated into several languages. One of the
earliest translations of the novel was done in French. Many scholars posit that
there were early attempts to translate the novel into German (by Blumentritt)
and even Tagalog (by Rizal's brother, Paciano) but these plans never came to
fruition. At the turn of the twentieth century, during the American colonial
period, several other translations and editions of the novel came out. Arguably
the most circulated versions were the English translations of Charles Derbyshire.
By the 1930s, Rizal's Noli had several Spanish editions, translations into English,
French, Japanese, and also into several languages in the Philippines including
Tagalog, Cebuano, Waray, Iloko, and Bikol (Testa-De Ocampo, 2011).
 The very controversy that surrounded the passage of the Rizal Law
indicated the relevance of the text in the 1950s and even beyond. In
academia, many scholars have also made it a point to discuss the politics of
translation and the nuances of transforming the text in several forms. As Testa-De
Ocampo points out, as much as the novel is elevated in the highest echelons of
Philippine literary history, seldom find Filipinos reading it in the original Spanish.
Version translations of the Noli also did not go without scrutiny from academics
like Benedict Anderson. Truly, be it about its content, context, or the way it is
read or used, the value of Rizal's novel is definitely felt in the Philippines.

Noli and the Study of a Colonial Society

A remarkable aspect of Rizal's Noli lies in its text which espoused the
national hero's articulations of a social-scientific view of the nineteenth century
Philippines he was describing. Sociologist Syed Fareed Alatas even went as far
as describing Rizal as "probably the first systematic social thinker in Southeast
Asia."

Taken together with Rizal's other writings, the Noli makes an important
contribution to the understanding of a colonial society and of the workings of
the Spanish empire in the Philippines. The novel portrayed the lives of the
characters of diverse positions from which people in nineteenth century
Philippines thought and acted in relation to others. Many scholars interpret the
Noli as Rizal's diagnosis of the ills of colonial society as he assessed the role
played by the church, the state, and the people. In the Noli, Rizal highlighted
some of his ideas on how the Philippine society could be emancipated from the
bondage of colonial rule. He underscored the importance of education as a
powerful tool to achieve progress. However, he also exposed the complexities
and constraints wrought by the colonial condition not only on foreigners, but
also on some misguided Filipinos that contributed to the ills of society. As Rizal
exposed the vile realities of the context he wrote about, he also emphasized the
good qualities of the Filipinos, which needed to be harnessed in order to
succeed in the struggle for emancipation.
The Publication of the Noli

As a sojourner in Europe, Rizal participated in the movement of the

ilustrados to utilize propaganda to campaign for reforms in the Philippines.
Utilizing their intellectual prowess, the ilustrados released various written outputs
from news bits, to feature articles, and commentaries. They also produced
creative outputs from satirical pieces to world-class paintings. Within this artistic
and literary collection, Rizal's exemplary mastery of words was clearly evident in
one of his most celebrated works, his first novel, Noli Me Tangere.

The idea of publishing a book was not alien to Rizal. In a meeting of the
ilustrados in 1884, he proposed to write a book project to be done
collaboratively with his fellow writers. Unfortunately, the project did not
materialize. He eventually decided to write a novel on his own. He started work
on the project in 1884 and completed it in 1887.

Many of his biographers cite several works that influenced Rizal in the
writing of the Noli. One of these is Juan Luna's painting, Spoliarium, which
depicted the sufferings faced by humanity in the face of inequalities. Another is
Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that dealt with slavery in
America.

Rizal finished the first half of the novel in Spain, supposedly the other half in
France, then completed the draft in 1886. The novel was published the following
year in Germany. Lack of funds delayed the book's publication until a fellow
ilustrado, Maximo Viola, insisted on lending him 300 pesos for the printing of the
first 2,000 copies. By 1887, Rizal was already sending out copies of the Noli to his
friends and the book began to take flight.

The title, Noli Me Tangere, had Biblical reference Gospel of John in which
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene uttered these words: “Touch me not, for I
am not yet ascended to my Father.” The choice of title according to Rizal was
fitting because he intended to write about themes that were taboo in the
Philippines for centuries; things that people dared not touch.

According to his biographers, Rizal first planned to write his novel in

French, considered to be the language of the intellectuals in Europe at that
time. He, however, shifted to Spanish because he intended to reach out to his
countrymen in the Philippines. Rizal explained: "I must wake from its slumber the
spirit of my country... I must first propose to my countrymen an example with
which they can struggle against their bad qualities, and afterwards, when they
have reformed, many writers would rise up to present my country to proud
Europe” (qtd. in Schumacher, 1991, p. 93).

In the initial pages of the Noli, the dedication titled "A Mi Patria” clearly
articulated Rizal's purpose for writing the novel:

To my Motherland

In the annals of human adversity, there is etched a cancer, of a breed so

malignant that the least contact exacerbates it, and stirs in it the sharpest
of pains. An thus, many times amidst modern cultures I have wanted to
evoke you, sometimes for memories of you to keep me company, other
times, to compare you with other nations-many times your beloved image
appears to me afflicted with a social cancer of similar malignancy.
Desiring your well-being, which is our own and searching for the best cure,
I will do with you as the ancients of old did with their afflicted, expose
them on the steps of the temple so that each one who would come to
invoke the Divine would propose a cure for them. And to this end, I will
attempt to faithfully reproduce your condition without much ado. I will lift
part of the shroud that conceals your illness, sacrificing to the truth
everything, even my own self-respect, for, as your son, I also suffer in your
defects and failings.

Jose Rizal, 1886

Sources: Rizal, José (Translated by Ma. Soledad Lacson-Locsin). 1996. Noli me tangere,
Makati: Bookmark

The project of writing the Noli, as stated, was geared towards exposing
the ills of Philippine colonial society under Spain. Thus, through the passages
within the Noli, readers also get glimpses of how Rizal saw his country.

Plot

The story of the Noli Me Tangere followed the life of Juan Crisostomo
Ibarra after he returned to the Philippines from studying in Europe. The novel
opened with Capitan Tiago preparing a homecoming gathering for the young
ilustrado. Throughout the pages of the novel, the characters could be seen
navigating the complex realities of colonial Philippines. Ibarra was shown to be
rekindling links with his betrothed Maria Clara. But not everything was fine and
dandy for Ibarra. Upon his return, he learned about the ills that plagued his town
as well as the abuses of the friars to which his late father fell victim to. Ibarra
found an antagonist in Padre Damaso, the former curate of San Diego who
ordered that the corpse of his father be exhumed and reburied in the Chinese
cemetery.

Despite these personal travails, Ibarra persevered to fulfill the plan of

building a school in San Diego, staying true to his belief that education was
crucial for his nation's progress. Ibarra almost got killed had it not for Elias, a
boatman, who saved him. Elias also previously cautioned Ibarra about his
actions that could anger the friars. After the incident, Ibarra organized a
luncheon.

Here, another confrontation occurred between Ibarra and Damaso who

attended the luncheon uninvited. In a fit of Ibarra took a knife against Damaso's
neck and threatened to slit his throat as he told everyone of the abuses
committed by Damaso and the desecration he did to Ibarra's father. Maria
Clara calmed Ibarra and prevented him from killing the friar. Damaso, in an act
of revenge, persuaded Capitan Tiago, the father of Maria Clara, to not allow his
daughter to marry Ibarra.

After some time, a revolt was blamed on Ibarra, which caused his
incarceration. With the help of Elias, he escaped and went to see Maria Clara
who was soon marrying the man her father chose for her. In a heartbreaking
confrontation, Ibarra and Maria Clara exchanged accusations and in the
process, it was revealed that Damaso was the true father of Maria Clara.

As turmoil and confusion engulfed the town, Maria Clara thought Ibarra
had been killed. This caused her endless grief. She asked to be confined to a
nunnery lest she take her own life. It was later revealed that Ibarra was not dead
and that Elias was the one fatally shot. In the latter passages, the dying Elias was
waiting for Ibarra but instead, met and talked to the young Basilio. He instructed
the orphaned boy (his mother Sisa, who became insane looking for her young
sons, had died) to find the treasure of Ibarra buried in the cemetery and use it to
get an education. He reminded Basilio to never lose hope and if one day,
freedom and progress would come to his country, to not forget those who
labored in the night.
 Within this general contour of the narrative, Rizal wove a complex story
and subplots. Reading through the novel, different characters and their
corresponding stories unfolded as told through the voice of an unseen narrator.
Truly, the pages of the Noli reflected the lives of people living in the complicated
world of colonial Philippines.
Noli Mi Tangere is considered by many as a landmark piece of literature.
Resil Mojares - named Rizal as the Father of Filipino novel.

• The novel addresses societal issues during Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines.
• Topics include oppression, abuse of power, and the plight of Filipinos under Spanish authorities.

Initial Reception (1887):

• The book sparked diverse reactions ranging from praise to ridicule.
• Strong opposition came from the Spanish clergy and some colonial officials.
• Fray Salvador Font led efforts to ban the novel, deeming it dangerous.
• Spanish friars discouraged Catholics from reading it, suggesting it was a “capital sin.”

Critics:
• Vicente Barrantes, a Spanish academic, harshly criticized Rizal, calling him a “man of
contradictions” and using the novel to generalize about Filipinos.
• Criticisms were spread not only in the Philippines but also in Spain.

Supporters:
• Rizal’s peers, especially from the Propaganda Movement, supported the novel.
• Marcelo H. del Pilar wrote in defense of the Noli.
• Ferdinand Blumentritt, a friend of Rizal, praised the work.

Translations and Influence:

• The Noli was translated into several languages soon after its release:
• Early translations include French, English, Spanish, Japanese, and Filipino languages
(e.g., Tagalog, Cebuano, Waray, Iloko, Bikol).
• Prominent English translations were by Charles Derbyshire during the American colonial period.
• Despite widespread translations, few Filipinos read the original Spanish version.

Continued Controversy:
• The passage of the Rizal Law in the 1950s, which mandates studying Rizal’s works, highlighted
the novel’s lasting impact and relevance.
• Scholars, including Benedict Anderson, have critiqued various translations and their implications,
emphasizing the text’s continued academic and cultural significance.
• Testa-De Ocampo points out, as much as the novel is elevated in the highest echelons of
Philippine literary history, seldom find Filipinos reading it in the original Spanish.

Legacy:
• The Noli is esteemed in Philippine literary history, remaining relevant for its content, historical
context, and the cultural discussions it provokes.
Social-Scientific View:
• Noli Me Tangere reflects Rizal’s social-scientific perspective on 19th-century Philippines.
• Sociologist Syed Fareed Alatas describes Rizal as “probably the first systematic social thinker in
Southeast Asia.”

Understanding Colonial Society:

• Together with Rizal’s other writings, Noli contributes to understanding colonial society and the
workings of the Spanish empire in the Philippines.
• The novel portrays the lives of characters of diverse positions, showing how people in 19th-century
Philippines thought and acted in relation to others.

Diagnosis of Colonial Society’s Ills:

• Scholars interpret the Noli as Rizal’s assessment of the ills of colonial society.
• Rizal assesses the roles of the church, the state, and the people, diagnosing issues within the
society of his time.

Education and Emancipation:

• Rizal highlights education as a powerful tool for progress and societal improvement.
• He suggests that while education is essential, the complexities and constraints of the colonial
condition impacted not only foreigners but also some misguided Filipinos.

Good Qualities of Filipinos:

• While exposing the harsh realities of colonial society, Rizal emphasizes the good qualities of
Filipinos.
• He believes these qualities need to be harnessed to succeed in the struggle for emancipation.
Rizal and the Ilustrados:
• In Europe, Rizal joined the ilustrado movement to campaign for reforms in the Philippines through
propaganda.
• The ilustrados used various forms of written and artistic expression, from news articles and
satirical pieces to high-quality paintings, to highlight issues in the Philippines.

Creation of Noli Me Tangere:

• Rizal initially proposed a collaborative book project with the ilustrados in 1884, but when this
plan failed, he decided to write a novel on his own.
• He started Noli Me Tangere in 1884 and completed it in 1887.

Influences on the Noli:

• Rizal was inspired by Juan Luna’s painting Spoliarium, which illustrated human suffering due to
social inequality.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel about American slavery, also influenced him.

Writing and Publication:

• Rizal wrote part of the novel in Spain, another part in France, and completed the draft in
Germany in 1886.
• Due to financial challenges, publication was delayed until Maximo Viola loaned him 300 pesos,
allowing for the printing of 2,000 copies in 1887.

Title and Symbolism:

• The title, Noli Me Tangere, refers to a Biblical passage from the Gospel of John, where Jesus
says to Mary Magdalene, “Touch me not.”
• Rizal chose this title to address taboo subjects in the Philippines, themes people feared to
confront openly.

Language Choice:
• Although he initially considered writing in French, Rizal opted for Spanish to reach a Filipino
audience.
• Rizal’s intention was to “wake from its slumber the spirit of my country” and inspire Filipinos to
reflect and strive for improvement.

Dedication – “A Mi Patria”:
• The dedication of Noli Me Tangere (“A Mi Patria” or “To My Country”) explicitly states Rizal’s
purpose: to inspire reform and ignite national pride.
Setting and Main Character:
• The story follows Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, who returns to the Philippines after studying in
Europe.
• The novel opens with Capitan Tiago hosting a homecoming event for Ibarra.

Ibarra’s Relationships and Challenges:

• Ibarra reconnects with his fiancée, Maria Clara.
• He learns about the abuses by the friars, particularly Padre Damaso, who had his father’s
remains exhumed and reburied in the Chinese cemetery.

Ibarra’s Educational Vision:

• Ibarra is committed to building a school in San Diego, believing education is key to national
progress.
• Despite warnings from Elias, a boatman who saves him from an assassination attempt,
Ibarra persists in his plans.

Conflict with Padre Damaso:

• At a luncheon, Ibarra confronts Damaso, nearly killing him before Maria Clara intervenes.
• In revenge, Damaso convinces Capitan Tiago to cancel Ibarra and Maria Clara’s engagement.

Ibarra’s Imprisonment and Escape:

• Ibarra is falsely accused of inciting a revolt and imprisoned.
• With Elias’s help, he escapes and confronts Maria Clara, who is being forced to marry
another man. They discover that Damaso is Maria Clara’s biological father.

Maria Clara’s Fate:

• Believing Ibarra has been killed, Maria Clara is devastated and decides to join a convent.

Elias’s Death and Basilio’s Hope:

• In the final passages, Elias, fatally injured, meets young Basilio and urges him to use Ibarra’s
buried treasure for education and to remember those who sacrificed for freedom.

Narrative Style:
• The novel unfolds through the perspective of an unseen narrator, revealing the complexities
of life in colonial Philippines through various characters and subplots.