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CHAPTER 8
NOLI ME TANGERE
PUBLISHED IN
BERLIN (1887)
BLEAK WINTER
 memorable in the life of Jose Rizal for two reasons:
o it was painful episode for he was hungry, sick,
and despondent in a strange city;
o it brought him great joy, after enduring so much
sufferings, because his first novel Noli Me
Tangere came off the press in March, 1887.
 Dr. Maximo Viola
o Rizal’s friend from
Bulacan, arrived in Berlin at
LEGENDARY
the height of his
SANTA CLAUS
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 (which portrays the brutalities of
American slave-owners and the pathetic conditions
of the unfortunate Negro slaves), inspired Dr. Rizal
to prepare a novel that would depict the miseries of
his people under the lash of Spanish tyrants.
MADRID ON JANUARY 2, 1884
 Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippines.
 Approved by:
o The Paternos (Pedro, Maximino, and Antonio)
o Graciano Lopez Jaena
o Evaristo Aguirre
o Eduardo de Lete
o Julio Llorente
o Melecio Figueroa
o Valentin Ventura
MADRID ON JANUARY 2, 1884
 Rizal’sproject did not materialize due to:

o Compatriots who were expected to collaborate on
the novel did not write anything.

o Almost everybody wanted to write on women.
o Wasted their time gambling or flirting with
Spanish señoritas.
 Undaunted by his friends’ indifference, he
determined to write the novel – alone.
THE WRITING OF THE NOLI
 Paris,
in 1885 - completed his studies at the Central
University of Madrid and continued writing the
novel, finishing one-half of the second half.
 Hefinished the last fourth of the novel in Germany.
Wrote the last few chapters of the Noli in
Wilhelmsfeld in April-June 1886.
 Maximo Viola VIOLA, SAVIOR OF THE NOLI
o a scion of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan.
o Arrived in Berlin before Christmas day of 1887.
o He was shocked when he found Rizal living in
poverty and deplorably sickly due to lack of proper

nourishment.
o Upon seeing his talented friend’s predicament, he
gladly agreed to finance the printing cost of the Noli.

He also loaned Rizal some cash money for living
expenses.
VIOLA, SAVIOR OF THE NOLI
 After the Christmas season, Rizal put the finishing

touches on his novel. To save printing expenses, he
deleted certain pages in his manuscript, including a
whole chapter – “Elias and Salome”.
 February 21, 1887 – the Noli was finally finished and
ready for printing.
 They managed to find a cheap printing shop: Berliner
Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft. Charging them with
only 300 pesos for 2,000 copies of the novel.
RIZAL SUSPECTED AS FRENCH SPY
 In the old days of travel, it was possible to travel from
another country without having a passport.
 Immediately, Rizal, accompanied by Viola went to the
Spanish embassy to seek the help of Spanish
Ambassador, the Count of Benomar. But the ambassador
failed to keep his promise for he had no power to issue
the required passport.
RIZAL SUSPECTED AS FRENCH SPY
 Rizal, in fluent German language, explained to the police chief he
was not a French spy, but was a Filipino physician and scientist,
particularly an ethnologist. As an ethnologist, he visited to observe
the customs and lifestyles of their simple inhabitants.
 Favorably impressed with Rizal’s explanation and fascinated by his
mastery of the German language and personal charisma, the police
chief was satisfied and allowed him to stay freely in Germany.
PRINTING OF THE NOLI FINISHED
 March 21, 1887 – the Noli Me Tangere came off the

press. Immediately, Rizal sent the first copies of the
printed novel to his intimate friends:
o Bluementritt
o Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
o G. Lopez Jaena
o Mariano Ponce
o Felix R. Hidalgo
PRI NTI NG OF THE NOLI FI NI SHED
 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 the
novel and a complimentary copy.
THE TITLE OF THE NOVEL
 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.
 March 5, 1887 – Rizal, wrote to Felix R. Hidalgo in
French and said: “Noli Me Tangere, words taken from
the Gospel of Saint Luke, signify “do not touch me.”
 Rizal made a mistake in citing the Biblical source. It
should be the Gospel of St. John (Chapter 20, Verses 13
to 17).
THE AUTHOR’S DEDICATION
 Rizal dedicated his Noli Me

Tangere to the Philippines – “To
My Fatherland.”
SYNOPSIS OF THE NOLI
 The Characters:
o Capitan Tiago (Santiago de los Santos) – father of
Maria Clara and a friend of Ibarra.
o Crisostomo Ibarra – a young and rich Filipino who had
just returned after seven years of study in Europe. The
only son of Don Rafael Ibarra. A fiancé of Maria Clara.
o Padre Damaso – a fat Franciscan friar who had been
parish priest for 20 years of San Diego (Calamba).
o Padre Sybila – a young Dominican parish priest of
Binondo.
o Señor Guevara – an elderly and kind lieutenant of the
Guardia Civil.
o Don Tiburcio de Espadaña – a bogus Spanish physician,
lame, and henpecked husband of Doña Victorina.

o Maria Clara – childhood faithful sweetheart of Crisostomo
Ibarra, a good friend and obedient daughter. She symbolizes

purity and innocence of a sheltered native woman.
o Padre Salvi – Franciscan parish priest of San Diego.
o Tasio the Philosopher (Pilosopo Tasio) – wise old man
whose ideas were to advance for his times so that the people,
who could not understand him and called him the “Tasio the
Lunatic.”
o Don Filipo Lino – the teniente - mayor and leader of the
liberal faction.
o Don Melchor – the captain of the cuadrilleros (town police).
o Don Basilio and Don Valentin – former gobernadorcillos
and were prominent citizens.
o Sisa – the tale of sisa – formerly known a rich girl who
married a gambler and became poor. She’s also the deranged

mother of Basilio and Crispin.
o Basilio – an acolyte (servant) tasked to ring the church bells
for Angelus. Accused of crimes he did not commit.

o Crispin – an altar boy and who was as well accused of
stealing money from the church.
o Doña Consolacion – the vulgar mistress of the Spanish
Alferez.
o Doña Victorina – the flamboyantly dressed wife of a
henpecked Spanish quack doctor.

o Elias – distrusts human judgment and prefers God’s justice
instead. He prefers a revolution over reforms.

o Pia Alba – a young beautiful and spiritual woman. Maria
Clara’s mother.
o Gobernador Heneral – occupies the second most
powerful rank in the colonial government, second only
to the king. Supported Ibarra against Padre Damaso.
o Alferez – lieutenant of the Guardia Civil.
o Alfonso Linares – cousin of Don Tiburcio and godson
of Padre Damaso’s brother – in – law.

THE “NOLI” BASED ON TRUTH
A true story of Philippine conditions during the last

decades of Spanish rule.
o The places, the characters, and the situations
really existed.
o The characters were drawn by Rizal from persons
who actually existed during his times.

 Characters in reality:
o Maria Clara – Leonor Rivera
o Ibarra and Elias – represented by Rizal himself.
o Tasio the Philosopher – elder brother, Paciano.
o Padre Salvi – Padre Antonio Piernavieja

o Capitan Tiago – Capitan Hillario Sunico

o Doña Victorina – Doña Agustina Medel
o Basilio and Crispin – were the Crisostomo brothers of
Hagonoy.
o Padre Damaso – typical domineering friar, arrogant,
immoral, and anti-Filipino during the days of Rizal.
MISSING CHAPTER OF THE NOLI
 In the original manuscript of Noli Me Tangere, there was
a chapter entitled “Elias and Salome” which follows
Chapter XXIV – “In the Woods”.
 Deleted by Rizal so that it was not included in the printed
novel. His reason for doing so was economic:
o By reducing the pages of the manuscript, the cost of
printing would correspondingly be reduced.

RIZAL’S FRIENDS PRAISE THE NOLI
 Friendsof Rizal hailed the novel, praising it in glowing

colors. As to be expected, Rizal’s enemy condemned it.
 Rizaltold Bluemintritt: “The government and the friars
will probably attack the work, refuting my statements,
but I trust in the God of Truth and in the persons who
have actually seen our sufferings.”
RIZAL’S FRIENDS PRAISE THE NOLI
 Bluemintrittread Rizal’s novel and praised and said,

“As we Germans say – written with the blood of the
heart and so the heart also speaks.” Rizal being an
extraordinary person.
 Dr.Antonio Ma. Regidor – a Filipino patriot and
lawyer exiled due to his complicity in the Cavite
mutiny of 1872. Avid reader of Noli and was very
much impressed.

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CHAPTER 8

 His reading of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle

o Graciano Lopez Jaena

 Rizal’sproject did not materialize due to:

the novel did not write anything.

o Wasted their time gambling or flirting with

o a scion of a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan.

o Arrived in Berlin before Christmas day of 1887.

o He was shocked when he found Rizal living in

poverty and deplorably sickly due to lack of proper

gladly agreed to finance the printing cost of the Noli.

 After the Christmas season, Rizal put the finishing

 March 21, 1887 – the Noli Me Tangere came off the

o Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor

 March 29, 1887 – Rizal, in token of his

 Rizal dedicated his Noli Me

lame, and henpecked husband of Doña Victorina.

Ibarra, a good friend and obedient daughter. She symbolizes

married a gambler and became poor. She’s also the deranged

for Angelus. Accused of crimes he did not commit.

henpecked Spanish quack doctor.

instead. He prefers a revolution over reforms.

o Alfonso Linares – cousin of Don Tiburcio and godson

of Padre Damaso’s brother – in – law.

A true story of Philippine conditions during the last

who actually existed during his times.

o Ibarra and Elias – represented by Rizal himself.

o Tasio the Philosopher – elder brother, Paciano.

o Padre Salvi – Padre Antonio Piernavieja

o Capitan Tiago – Capitan Hillario Sunico

printing would correspondingly be reduced.

 Friendsof Rizal hailed the novel, praising it in glowing

 Bluemintrittread Rizal’s novel and praised and said,

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