PLOT
Written in Spanish and published in 1887, José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere played a ruial role in the politial history o! the "hilippines# $ra%ing !ro& e'periene, the on(entions o! the nineteenth)entury no(el, and the ideals o! *uropean liberalis&, Rizal Rizal o!!e o!!ered red up a de(ast de(astati ating ng riti riti+ue +ue o! a soi soiety ety under under Span Spanish ish olon olonial ial rule# rule# The plot re(ol(es around risosto&o -barra, &i'ed)rae heir o! a %ealthy lan, returning ho&e a!ter se(en years in *urope and !illed %ith ideas on ho% to better the lot o! his ountry&en# Stri(ing !or re!or&s, he is on!ronted by an abusi(e elesiastial hierarhy and a Spanish i(il ad&inistration by turns indi!!erent and ruel# The no(el suggests, through through plot de(elop& de(elop&ents ents,, that &eaning! &eaning!ul ul hange hange in this onte't onte't is e'eedi e'eedingly ngly di!!iult, i! not i&possible# The death o! -barra’s !ather, $on Ra!ael, prior to his ho&eo&ing, and the re!usal o! a atholi burial by "adre $a&aso, the parish priest, pro(o.es -barra into hitting the priest, !or %hih -barra is e'o&&uniated# The deree is resinded, ho%e(er, %hen the go(ernor general inter(enes# The !riar and his suessor, "adre Sal(i, e&body the rotten state o! the lergy# Their tangled !eelings/one paternal, the other arnal/!or Maria lara, -barra’s s%eetheart and rih apitan Tiago’s beauti!ul daughter, steel their deter&ination to spoil -barra’s plans !or a shool# The to%n philosopher Tasio %ryly notes si&ilar past atte&pts ha(e !ailed, and his sage o&&entary &a.es lear that all olonial &asters !ear that an enlightened people %ill thro% o!! the yo.e o! oppression# "reisely ho% to ao&plish this is the no(el’s entral +uestion, and one %hih -barra debates %ith the &ysterious *lias, %ith %hose li!e his is intert%ined# The pri(ileged -barra !a(ors peae!ul &eans, %hile *lias, %ho has su!!ered in0ustie at the hands o! the authorities, belie(es (iolene is the only option# -barra’s ene&ies, partiularly Sal(i, i&pliate hi& in a !a.e insurretion, though the e(idene against hi& is %ea.# Then Maria lara betrays hi& to protet a dar. !a&ily seret, publi e'posure o! %hih %ould be ruinous# -barra esapes !ro& prison %ith *lias’s help and on!ronts her# She e'plains %hy, -barra !orgi(es her, and he and *lias !lee to the la.e# ut hased by the 2uardia i(il, one dies %hile the other sur(i(es# on(ined -barra’s dead, Maria lara enters the nunnery, re!using a &arriage arranged by "adre $a&aso# 3er unhappy !ate and that o! the & ore &e&orable Sisa, dri(en &ad by the the !ate !ate o! her sons, sons, sy&bo sy&boliz lize e the oun ountry try’s ’s ondit onditio ion, n, at one one beaut beauti!u i!ull and and &iserable# 4sing satire brilliantly, Rizal reates other &e&orable haraters %hose li(es &ani!est the poisonous e!!ets o! religious and olonial oppression# apitan Tiago5 the soial li&ber $o6a itorina de *spada6a and her toothless Spanish husband5 the 2uardia i(il head and his harridan o! a %i!e5 the sorority o! de(out %o&en5 the disa!!eted peasants !ored to beo&e outla%s in su&, a &iroos& o! "hilippine soiety# -n the a!!litions that plague the&, Rizal paints a harro%ing piture o! his belo(ed but su!!ering ountry in a %or. that spea.s elo+uently not 0ust to 9ilipinos but to all %ho ha(e endured or %itnessed oppression#
SETTING
The setting is 1:th entury "hilippines, during the latter years o! the ountry as Spain’s only olony in ;sia# CHARACTERS Crisóstomo Ibarra Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin , o&&only re!erred to the no(el as Ibarra or Crisóstomo, is the no(el son o! 9ilipino business&an $on Ra!ael -barra, he studied in *urope !or se(en years# -barra is also Mar?a lara
Se(eral soures lai& that -barra is also Rizal, and his ousin, -sabel# -n the later parts o! the no(el, she %as re(ealed to be an illegiti&ate daughter o! 9ather $C&aso, the o&er urate o! the to%n, and $o6a "?a ;lba, apitCn Tiago
;t the no(el a!ter learning the truth o! her parentage and &ista.enly belie(ing her lo(er risDsto&o to ha(e been .illed# -n the epilogue, Rizal stated that it is un.no%n i! Mar?a lara is still li(ing %ithin the %alls o! the on(ent or she is already dead# Ca"it#n Tiago $on Santiago ! los San tos, .no%n by his ni.na&e Tiago and politial title Capitá nTiago is it is said that BapitCn Tiago is the rihest &an in the region o! inon do and he possessed real properties in "a&panga and @aguna de ay# 3e is also said to be a good atholi, a !riend o! the Spanish go(ern&ent and thus %as onsidered a Spaniard by the olonial elite# apitCn Tiago ne(er attended shool, so he bea&e the do&esti helper o! a$o&inian !riar %ho ga(e hi& an in!or&al eduation# 3e later &arried "?a ;lba !ro& Santa ruz# Par! $#maso
$#maso %!rolagas, or "adre $C&aso is a 9ranisan !riar and the !or&er parish urate o! San $iego# 3e is notorious !or spea.ing %ith harsh %ords, highhandedness, and his ruelty during his &inistry in the to%n# ;n ene&y o! risDsto&o or to enter the nunnery =her desperate alternati(e># ;t the end o! the no(el, he is again reassigned to a distant to%n and later !ound dead in his bed# Elías Elías is -barra
The EFth hapter o! the no(el e'plores the past o! *l?as and history o! his !a&ily# -n the past, -barra# Gne day, his sister disappeared %hih led hi& to searh !or her# 3is searh led hi& into di!!erent plaes, and !inally, he bea&e a !ugiti(e and sub(ersi(e# Piloso"o Ta&io 'iloso(o Ta&io, .no%n by his Tagalized na&e Pilosopo Tasyo, is another &a0or harater in the story# See.ing !or re!or&s !ro& the go(ern&ent, he e'presses his ideals in paper %ritten in a ryptographi alphabet si&ilar !ro& hieroglyphs and opti !igures hoping Hthat the !uture generations &ay be able to deipher itH and realized the abuse and oppression done by the on+uerors#
3is !ull na&e is only .no%n as $on Anastasio# The eduated inhabitants o! San $iego labeled hi& as Filosofo Tacio =Taio the Sage> %hile others alled hi& as Tacio el Loco =Taio the -nsane> due to his e'eptional talent !or reasoning# $o)a %i&torina $o)a %i&torina ! los R!y!s ! Es"aa)a , o&&only .no%n as $o6a itorina, is an a&bitious 9ilipina %ho lassi!ies hersel! as a Spanish and &i&is Spanish ladies by putting on hea(y &a.e)up# The no(el narrates $o6a itorina
3er husband assu&es the title o! &edial H dotor H e(en though he ne(er attended &edial shool5 using !a.e dou&ents and erti!iates, Tiburio illegally praties &ediine# Tiburio#I18 ;pparently, she uses the %hole na&e $o)a %i&torina ! los R!y!s de ! Es"aa)a, %ith double de to e&phasize her &arriage surna&e# She see&s to !eel that this a%.%ard titling &a.es her &ore Hsophistiated#H
Sisa* Cris"ín* an +asilio
Sisa, risp?n, and asilio represent a 9ilipino !a&ily perseuted by the Spanish authorities •
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Nar&isa or Sisa is the deranged &other o! asilio and risp?n# $esribed as beauti!ul and young, although she lo(es her hildren (ery &uh, she an not protet the& !ro& the beatings o! her husband, P!ro# Cris"ín is Sisa
$ue to their tragi but endearing story, these haraters are o!ten parodied in &odern 9ilipino popular ulture# •
Salom, is *l?as< s%eetheart# She li(ed in a little house by the la.e, and though *l?as %ould li.e to &arry her, he tells her that it %ould do her or their hildren no good to be related to a !ugiti(e li.e hi&sel!# -n the original publiation o! !oli , the hapter that e'plores the identity o! *l?as and Salo&é %as o&itted, lassi!ying her as a total non)e'isting harater# This hapter, entitled El"as y Salom# %as probably the KEth hapter o! the no(el# 3o%e(er, reent editions and translations o! !oli pro(ides the inlusion o! this hapter, either on the appendi' or rena&ed as Chapter $ =*'>#
Gther haraters There are a nu&ber o! seondary and &inor haraters in !oli %e T&ngere # -te&s indiated inside the parenthesis are the standard 9ilipinization o! the Spanish na&es in the no(el# •
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Par! H!rn#no ! la Sibyla A a $o&inian !riar# 3e is desribed as short and has !air s.in# 3e is instruted by an old priest in his order to %ath risDsto&o -barra# Par! +!rnaro Sal-í A the suessor o! "adre $C&aso as the 9ranisan urate o! San $iego, and %ho seretly lusts a!ter Mar?a lara# 3e is desribed to be (ery thin and si.ly# -t is also hinted that his surna&e, HSal(iH is the shorter !or& o! HSal(iH =Hsal(ationH>, or HSal(iH is short !or Hsal(a0eH =Hsa(ageH, H%ildH> hinting at the !at that he is %illing to .ill an innoent hild, risp?n, %ho he aused o! stealing &oney %orth Konzas#
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El Al(,r!. =Al"!r!s> A the unna&ed hie! o! the 'ardia Ci(il and husband o! $o6a onsolaiDn# 3e is the s%orn ene&y o! the priests in the to%n or la )lf#reza # She %as a !or&er laundry%o&an %ho passes hersel! as a peninslar , and is best re&e&bered !or her abusi(e treat&ent o! Sisa# $on Tibur&io ! Es"aa)a A ; Spanish +ua. dotor %ho is %ea. and sub&issi(e to his pretentious %i!e, $o6a itorina# T!ni!nt! Gu!-ara ) a lose !riend o! $on Ra!ael -barra# 3e re(eals to risDsto&o ho% $on Ra!ael -barra A 4nna&ed in the no(el, he is the &ost po%er!ul olonial o!!iial in the "hilippines# 3e harbours great disdain !or the !riars and orrupt o!!iials, and sy&pathises %ith -barra# $on 'ili"o Lino A (ie &ayor o! the to%n o! San $iego, leader o! the liberals# Par! Manu!l Martín A he is the linguist urate o! a nearby to%n %ho deli(ers the ser&on during San $iego
S0MMAR1
The young and idealisti Juan risosto&o -barra returns ho&e a!ter se(en years in *urope# The %ealthy &eztizo, li.e his !ather $on Ra!ael endea(ors !or re!or& pri&arily in the area o! eduation in order to eli&inate po(erty and i&pro(e the li(es o! his ountry&en# 4pon learning about his !ather’s de&ise and the denial o! a atholi burial !or his !ather -barra %as pro(o.ed to hit "adre $a&aso %hih e(entually lead to his e'o&&uniation# The e'o&&uniation %as later resinded upon the inter(ention o! the 2o(ernor 2eneral#
"adre Sal(i, -barra’s &ortal ene&y aused -barra o! insurretion# -barra’s letter to his belo(ed Maria lara %as used against hi&# @ater in the story, Maria lara %ill tell -barra that she did not onspire to indit hi&# She %as o&pelled to gi(e -barra’s letter in e'hange !or the letters o! her &other be!ore she %as born# Maria lara !ound out that the letters o! her &other %ere addressed to "adre $a&aso about their unborn hild %hih &eans that she is the biologial daughter o! the priest and not o! her !ather, apitan Tiago# Mean%hile, -barra %as able to esape the prison %ith *lias, %ho also e'periened in0ustie %ith the authorities# -barra %as able to spea. %ith Maria lara about the letters and therea!ter !orga(e her# -barra and *lias !lee to the la.e and %ere hased by the 2uardia i(il# Gne %as shot and the other sur(i(es# 4pon hearing the ne%s, Maria lara belie(ed that -barra %as dead5 she entered the nunnery instead o! &arrying ;l!onso @inares# The !atally %ounded *lias !ound the hild asilio and his dead &other Sisa# The latter %as dri(en to insanity %hen she learned that her hildren %ere i&pliated !or the!t by the saristan &ayor# *lias instruted asilio to dig !or his and Sisa’s gra(es and there is a buried treasure %hih he an use !or his eduation# Noli Me Tangere brilliantly desribed "hilippine soiety %ith its &e&orable haraters# The &elanholi !ate o! Maria lara and the insanity o! Sisa haraterized the ountry’s piti!ul state, %hih %as one beauti!ul, turned &iserable# Reading Noli Me Tangere %ill open one’s &ind about oppression and tyranny# RE'LECTION
e!ore, - thought that the hardship and &isery e'periened by the 9ilipinos in the ti&e o! Jose Rizal %as si&ply aused by the !riars and Spanish o!!iials# -t’s not as si&ple as that in Noli Me Tangere# There %as an interplay o! the abo(e !ators Les, &any o! the !riars %ere orrupt, hyporitial, and abusi(e, but &any o! the o&&on people %ere not entirely bla&eless# Many o! the latter %ere ignorant o! their o%n religion5 they held superstitious belie!s alongside atholi belie!s, e(en i! the t%o are ino&patible# Many %ere also !ond o! ga&bling 9or e'a&ple, Sisa’s husband# 3is addition to o.)!ighting le!t hi& and his !a&ily onstantly in %ant o! &oney, so that Sisa had to o&pensate by %or.ing long hours and sending her t%o sons to the parish house to %or. under e'tre&ely harsh and un0ust iru&stanes# -! her husband %as &ore deent and responsible, Sisa’s sons %ould’(e been spared and her sanity unhar&ed# So, their !a&ily %ould’(e stayed intat# Many o! the 9ilipinos %ere also passi(e and o%ardly# When they %itnessed in0usties done to their !ello% indios, they did nothing out o! !ear# - thin. that the !oli does not really indit religion, or atholiis&, itsel!# -t only brings out as ugly, dangerous, and destruti(e orruption and hyporisy#
