THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE NOLI AND Fi, TO THE NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS Learning Outcomes: 1. Explain the similarities and differences of the Noli Me Tengere ¢ of the Noli langere and El Filibuste 2. Discuss how both novels contributed to the national consousrest andro Philippine Revolution THE NOLI AND FILI COMPARED Rizal's novels were works of fiction. All the characters and places are fictional, There are no historical personalities such as Padre Damaso, Fr. Salvi Fr. Sibyla or Fr. Camorra, Nor was al there an Ibarra, Simoun, Elias or even a Maria Clara ora Sisa. Both novels however have powerful Messages: that there is oppression of the Filipino people not only by the Spanish colonizers but also by fellow Filipinos who subordinated themselves to the Spaniards; thatthe Catholic Church especially the friars were a party to this oppression. The Spanish friars, who were supposed to be Suardians of morality and exemplars of virtue, were abusing their positions and were arrogant in the use of their power. Religion is being used by the Church in the Philippines to perpetuate their influence on the political, economic and social life of the Philippines; that religion was being used to promote superstition and fear rather than understanding and a love for knowledge The novels warn of a worsening and social decay in the stands. There were those who have chosen to become instruments of oppression by the Spaniards. These include the friar Administrator ofthe agricultural estate and the native members ofthe Guardia ivi, Thee were also Filipinos who became blind and fanatical followers ofthe friars. Aside from these Filpines there were a growing number of their country men who rejected their own hentage and identity ‘nd slavishly adopted the ways, beliefs and the way of thinking of the colonizers The novels had different effects on those who had read them: as coe ae Caused rage and anger among the conservative elements such as the friars222 ‘loved and for his country. fi names and fresiess: even has a sor veomposed by Rizal himself and sang inthe ce Maria bby Maria Clara, 1 and it warns of a comin Piibustersm hand was a political novel : second reveals a cynicism and author. The Noli shows a witty and romantic Rizal whlle the seco seer saetonctneweboe Wite the Nol showed Rizal's charm and wit the Fi was darkand full of pain and sorrow. In the making of the novels Rizal spent more effort in writing his second novel. It was ‘emotionally taxing because his family was evicted from their lands in Calamba. He practically had no support from his family inthe Philippines and he broke away from the ranks of Filipino propagandists in Spain. He also lost Leonor Rivera to her marriage to Charles Kipping and almost ‘went toa duel with his close friend, Antonio Luna, over a Nelly Boustead. ‘The writing and printing ofthe novels were times that tested Rizal's resolve to see these to completion. In both novels Rizal was practically broke and not in good health. The conditions uring the writing of the Fili were worse as he was practically starving, emotionally drained from the hardships with the Filipinos in Madrid, the eviction of his family from Calamba, the deportation of his brother and in-laws plus his personal misfortunes in the area of love. In both cases he was tempted to burn both manuscripts. He questioned himself why he was putting himself in all the trouble of exposing the ils ofthe Philippines, the thankless task of working in the reform and propaganda movement when he could just live a more normal and comfortable life. tshould be remembered wien Rizal was working on the El Filibusterismo he already had his Ncentiate certificate to practice medicine. Yet he worked until E Fi ibusterismo was completed ee oe hee ‘the facsimiles of the drafts of both novels he can discern Rizal's state of wells his financial condition, Inthe facsimile ofthe Noli Me ‘Tangere, Rizal's handwriting Ce and erasures. in most of the pages of was uniformly black throughout the aed er ofthe page blank. The ink he was using lowe tons hon eaae eenbee e ha the pager and ot pager thee nee eu SR ee eT of s EE 6 ‘on pages that should have been discarded, Th, Reeser the mares FIN RTPES were erased and Rial would just yee the bash Met Whole pages in which the bustersmo the nk he was using turmed fe black te af the page for is writing, In Purple. He must have been diluting hison A 0% ae ee Rae ne 1S A SEQUEL TO THE FILI2 ~ Itisworthnoting thatall the main charactersin th ecially Simoun, Ibarra, Maria Clara, Elias, 1e Noli Me Tangere and El Flibusterismo Padre Damaso had died, This deft continue the story. However many elements from the startof the first novel stil Se pert pee es a ee Camorra, Fr Sibyla and Fr, Fernandez, Don Tiburcio and Dofia Victorina and the characters from El Filibusterismo like Don Custodio, Ben-Zayb an were basically untouched. >, Ben-Zayb and Seftor Pasta This situation is symbolic because the youth will stil be there to symbolize the continuing struggle of the Filipinos and the evils of the past such as friar domination represented by Fr. Salvi and the others; a society afflicted by colonial mentality represented by the spouses Espadafia and hypocritical, corrupt and selfish Filipinos like Pasta, Ben-Zayb and Custodio, will stil be there in the future, The youth like the other characters in the two novels, are not perfect beings. All ofthe personalities will have flaws and at the same time some steering characters that would probably be the hope of the motherland. Otherwise the story would have ended there. It remains for some artist, novelist or story teller to continue Rizal's story. THE EFFECTS OF NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO TO THE NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS When both novels were finished and have arrived in the Philippines their contents spread like wildfire. The prohibition by the friars made the public more curious and they wanted to know more about the novels. When asked for a preference, Rizal said he preferred the Noli Me Tangere 0 Filibusterismo, as did Marcelo H. del Pilar. More people however preferred Bee because it contained more profound ideas and sublime thoughts. Despite thelr a aaa agreed that both novels served Rizal's motives: they awakened the Fili = atk ee Under Spanish rule and that they need to work as one for their freedom and sal il jation and the rule ovels also commented on the state of Philippine Dee Sera raiieic racy by the friarshad a strong gripon the county ais mentality the will neglect of to other Filipinos. It also made fun and lamba: omit called on te Filipinos to mend their own identity and their slavish submission to the eas ‘opse before society in order to ‘heir ways, reclaim their honor as a people, undertake Prepare the Philippines for eventual freedom. 223224 a ewan id and mitted ‘}eombinaion ofall ated friars who demanded "57°" ‘was abusive and feared. In NE 11872 when a pious woman from a prominent historical basis andit was inspired by DART)” oficial of the Franciscan Order. Kapitan family in Manila was repeatedly raped allegedly bY 2 Oo Aupustina Medel, owner of i via Victor Pe ete ea as ees were the Crisostomo brothers of Hagonoy, the Zorrilla Theater. The brothers Cris Bulacan. 1 the friars called itimpious, heretical and unpatriotic, i ‘was vilified because of the book, In ‘When the Spaniards read the novel Rizal later wrote that after his visit to the Philippines he ‘writing to Dr. Blumentritt, Rizal wrote: “My book made a lot of noise: everywhere Iam asked about it. They wanted to ‘anathemize me (ie. excommunicate me) because of it. | am considered a German spy, an agent of Bismarck; they say 1am a Protestant, a free mason, a sorcerer, a damned soul and evil. It is whispered that I want of draws plans (so Germany can invade the Philippines), that Ihave a foreign passport and that I wander through the streets at night.” 4s for El Filibusterismo, Simoun was Rizal. Most of the friars in the novel this time: were the Dominicans. This was the order that expelled his family from their lands in Calamba ‘The Dominican friars were Fr Sibyla who was Vice Rector of the pontifical and royal University of Santo Tomas. The character alludes to Fr. Bernardino Nozaleda who was Vice Rector of the university when Rizal niversiy when Rizal wasa student there. Later Fr Nozaleda would become the Archbishop of actual professor in Physics was Fr Jenaro Bui itrago de la Re did not threaten or verbally abuse the students in his caacuracy but only in the remote parts of the islands, Rizal put the: ‘setting of Fr, Florentino’s parish onthe easter side of Luzon which was sparsely populated. In reality eastern Luzon would be the realm of the Franciscans from the Aurora area to the Bicol region, The northeastern part of the island is handled by the Dominicans. The family of Cabesang Tales alludes to the peasant families of Calamba who were evicted by the Dominicans. But a closer comparison would be the farmers who were victims of land-grabbing by the friar orders. Already mentioned were the farmers from Lian, Batangas whose lands were grabbed by the Augustinian Recollects and the fishermen from the same towns whose access to the sea was blocked by the religious order: In eastern Cavite, the Dominicans extended their hacienda from the Silang, Cavite to the west to San Pedro Tunasan in Laguna to the east. In the process, the families living between these two towns suddenly found themselves landless and they have become tenants who had to pay rent or else leave. Since these farmers lived far away from the towns they become victims from the law and the lawless. Administrators from the friar estate would come and collect the ever-increasing rent while the bandits would come to extort money. Some of these bandits were themselves former victims of either the law or the lawless. The most notorious of these bandits was Laong who terrorized the towns east of Manila. Laong was later tapped by the Katipuneros to fight the Spaniards in 1896. The killing of Tandang Selo by Civil Guards was inspired by an incident in the Mariana Islands in the 1870 when a group of Guardia Civil was hunting a band of escaped prisoners. One of those prisoners who was shot and killed was an old man who was waving a spear Rizal painted the University of Santo Tomas asa melting pot of students and professors from different backgrounds. It was the breeding ground of conservatives and reactionaries oot 3 Nozaleda; reformists like Marcelo H. del Pilarand Rizal ‘himselfand rebels like eines oo Were rich and poor Filipinos in the university. In one scene in the University was the 1g ‘who founded the University in 1611 Rizal himself may have contributed some tv ed ‘hich was not erected when he wasastudentthere. The projec needed ee asin font of Were raised. It was cast in bronze in Paris and it was erected at the Pe cctein feeiary 945 ‘he original university buldingin 1891, The statue survived he Dao ws and was moved to the Sulucan campus of the university In }940 TT i csecutor of then: "ot totally fictional as Fr. Baltasar was actually i Baltasar Fore 225prea heretical conte The of lies and half-truths in the novels as well as its ee ears cnr igarosl opposes pessese of the Rizal Bll Today, the two novels are very much rememberedby the Filipino people. A monumentin act bears the words Noli Me Tangere, E Fibusterismo and Morga referring to Rizal's two: ‘and the author of the book which Rizal annotated. Streets and a plaza in Manila were named after the novels as well asa whole complex of streets. The individual characters too are remembered; ‘nowadays whenever a priest or member of the clergy does something wrong or interferes with the social life of the people, he is called a modern padre Damaso. Sisa is remembered as the ‘woman of weak character driven into madness by her husband and a cruel society; Maria Clarais seen as a model of meekness and the character of a Filipina, The words of Rizal either speaking as Ibarra and Simoun are remembered by millions of Filipinos who at least saw a movie about the novels or actually read the books.