Book Report

On
Noli Me Tangere

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

Life and Works of Rizal

Submitted by:
Georgia Louise Daganasol
Jayby Sarmiento
Ian Dominic Sy

Submitted to:
Mr. Raymond Danico

March 20, 2013

I.

INTRODUCTION
A.

TITLE

Noli Me Tangere
B.

AUTHOR

Jos Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, more so known as Dr. Jose Rizal was
born on June 19, 1861. He was born to a wealthy family based in Calamba, Laguna and was
7th of the 11 children in their family.
He earned a Bachiller en Artes diploma in Ateneo Municipal de Manila and studied
Medicine at the University of Sto. Tomas. To further his studies in Medicine and finish his
first Novel, he traveled to Europe and studied at Universidad Central de Madrid, in Madrid,
Spain,which earned him a degree of Licentiate in Medicine, and later moved to Paris and
Heidelberg, Germany to continue his studies.
He became a prominent reformist in his time during the Spanish Colonial Era. He was
chosen to be the leader of the Katipunan even without his knowledge and consent, which led
to his execution on December 30,1896. He is considered the National hero of the Philippines,
and today he is remembered in the celebration of the Rizal day every December 30.
He was known a poet, essayist and novelist and 2 of his most famous works were
Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. He was also a polymath, being an artist who is gifted
in painting, sculpting, sketching and woodcarving. He was also a polyglot, being able to
speak and communicate in twenty-two languages.

He was the founder of the civic organization called La Liga Filipina which later led to
the formation of the KKK led by Andres Bonifacio, which started the Philippine Revolution
against Spain. Rizals standpoint in achieving Philippine liberation is by means of restoring
the dignity of its people through equality.
It was believed that Rizals execution at Bagumbayan sparked the beginning of the
Philippine Revolution.
C.

PUBLICATION DETAILS
The Novel was finished in December of 1886. Due to financial constraints, Rizal

thought the Novel might not be printed and it would remain unread. A financial aid came
however, from Rizals friend, Maximo Viola, who helped him print his book in Berlin name
Berliner Buchdruckerei-Aktiengesellschaft. Viola insisted on lending Rizal Php300 to cover
for 2,000 Copies. The printing was finished earlier that the estimated time of five months.
D.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PLOT
Noli Me Tangere is a Novel written by Dr. Jose Rizal during the Spanish Colonial Era to
expose the inequities of Spanish Catholic Priests and also the Government that ruled the
Philippines during that same time. The title means Touch Me Not in Latin. Early titles given
to this novel were An Eagle Flight and The Social Cancer. French writer D. Blumenstihl
also notes that Noli Me Tangere was a term used by ophthalmologists for cancer of the
eyelids.
E.
BOOKS POPULARITY AND CIRCULATION
In 1992, After reading the novel, American writer Harold Augenbraum translated the
novel having been acquainted to translating other Spanish Literary works.
A 480-page then-latest English version of Noli Me Tngere was then released to major
Australian book stores on August 21, 2007. The Australian edition of the novel was published
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by Penguin Books Classics, to represent the publication's "commitment to publish the major
literary classics of the world.
For Numerous times, Noli Me Tangere was also adapted for film, theater and television
and at the start of the 20th Century, Noli Me Tangere has been translated to some languages
locally and internationally.
II.
SUMMARY OF THE TEXT
Noli Me Tangere presents the ills in the Philippine society as well as ironies and
injustices that had been happening at that time. Juan Crisostomo Ibarra, having just arrived from
Europe, was welcomed with a get-together party thrown by a family friend, Kapitan Tiago,
whose daughter is Ibarras sweetheart, Maria Clara. One of the guests in the party was Padre
Damaso, who belittled and insulted Ibarra.
The next day, the two lovers, Ibarra and Maria Clara meet, their long-standing love
manifested clearly. Before Ibarra left for San Diego, Liutenant Guevarra reveals to him the
incidents that preceded the death of his father, Don Rafael Ibarra. He told him that Don Rafael
was unjustly accused of being a heretic and a subversive, as was brought up by Padre Damaso
for not participating in the Churchs Sacraments, such as the mass and the confession. The
aversion of Damaso on Don Rafael was further aggravated when he tried to help out a kid
fighting with a tax collector, of whom the death of the latter was blamed on him although the
events that happened was not done on purpose. Because of this, Ibarras father was then
imprisoned and later died because of sickness.
Having heard the account on his fathers death, Ibarra still did not aim for revenge. He
instead chose to carry on with his fathers plan of putting up a school, since he believed that
education is the key to the nations progress. During the schools inauguration, Ibarra would have
been killed, had not Elias, a mysterious man who warned Ibarra of the plot to assassinate him,
saved him. After the inauguration, Ibarra hosted a lunch, wherein Damaso gate-crashed and
insulted him there again. Ibarra ignored the priest at first but when he slandered Ibarras fathers
3

death, Ibarra no longer was able to restrain himself and launch in preparation to stab the
impudent priest.
As a consequence, Damaso ex-communicated Ibarra and took the opportunity to persuade
Kapitan Tiago to forbid his daughter from marrying Ibarra, but instead to marry the peninsular,
Linares, who just arrived from Spain.
Later on however, Ibarras ex-comminication was nullified with the help of the GovernorGeneral and was accepted as member of the church again.
Meanwhile, while at a party at Kapitan Tiago was held to announce the engagement of
Maria Clara and Linares, with the help of Elias, Ibarra, took the opportunity to escape prison.
Ibarra also spoke with Maria Clara, accusing her that she betrayed him to the jury, which
the latter explained that she was only forced to give Padre Salvi the letters Ibarra wrote to her in
exchange of the letters written by her mother when she was born.
Thinking that Ibarra was killed at a shooting incident, Maria Clara was overcome with
grief and so she asked Damaso to comfine her into a nunnery. Reluctant as he is, Damaso agreed
to her when she threatened to take her life if she will not be accepted to be a nun, not knowing
that Ibarra was able to escape and it was Elias who took the shots that were meant for Ibarra.
Fatally wounded, Elias woke up in the forest as it is where he would meet Ibarra, but
instead, he found Basilio and his already-dead mother, Sisa. Elias then instructs Basilio to build a
funeral and burn his and his mothers body to ashes and if no one reaches the place, to come
back later and dig the place for he will find gold. He then urged Basilio to go to school and
continue with his life and dream about the freedom in the country. In the epilogue of the novel, it
was noted that Kapitan Tiago became addicted to Opium and Maria Clara became a nun where
Salvi, who has lusted after her since then, regularly used her for his pleasure. Also, one stormy
evening, a beautiful, crazy woman was found at the top of the convent cursing about her ill-fate
and though she was not identifie, it was hinted that the said woman was Maria Clara.
III. TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Noli me Tangere can be considered a historical novel as the fictional characters such as father
Burgos, lived in actual places within a social system that was then typical in a colonized land.
Rizal exaggerated a bit, as in his portrayal of characters like the friars Damaso, Salvi, and
Sibyla. The two women who were preoccupied with prayers and novenas and the espadanas but,
on the whole, the novel follows the basic rules or realism.
A.

THEME

.The theme of NOLI ME TANGERE was taken from the gospel of John. John tells that when
Jesus showed Himself after the resurrection, it was first to Mary Magdalene. NOLI ME
TANGERE or TOUCH ME NOT symbolizes ones need for distance.
The NOLI ME TANGERE also has a similar theme of longing and fulfillment.

He exposes

corruption and brutality of the civil guards which drive good men to crime and banditry.

He

focuses on administration crawling with self-seekers, out to make their fortune at the expense of
Filipinos, so that the few officials who are honest and sincere are unable to overcome the
treacherous workings of the system, and their efforts to help the country often end up in
frustration or in self-ruin.
The NOLI is Rizal's expose of corrupt friars who have made the catholic region an
instrument of enriching and perpetuating themselves in power by seeking to mire ignorant
Filipinos in fanaticism and superstition.

According to Rizal, instead of teaching Filipinos true

Catholicism, they control the government by opposing all progress and persecuting members of
the illustrado unless they make themselves their sevile flatterers.
B.

SYMBOLS ANALOGIES AND EXTERIOR REFERENCES

In the book, a lot of characters were presented directly or indirectly represent a real person in
Rizals time. Crisostomo Ibarra, represents Rizal. They both have the same ideals of uplifting the
Philippines and attaining freedom as a country through means other than revolting through
physical combat. Also, both of them studied in Europe.
Maria Clara on the other hand was based on Rizals childhood sweetheart Leonor Rivera.
Sisa, Basilio and Crispin symbolize a Filipino family whose fate has fallen tragically in the
hands of the Spanish authorities. They were persecuted for being the lowly citizens and evidently
their rights have been deprived from them.
IV. INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS
The boldness of Rizal in exposing the sad truth that was happening in the country during his
time is extraordinary. He knows the consequences of his actions for exposing the ills of the
society brought about the by Spanish Catholic priests and government officials, yet he was able
to take a stand to bring his message and open the eyes of the people to what is happening. Indeed
Noli Me Tangere is like a mirror for the Philippines situation during the Spanish Colonial era
and even up to this day. Although I might find some events in the novel exaggerated as
characters were placed in situations that are very dramatically tragic, however, it still reflects the
truth that happens in reality. Sadly, the truth is not as acceptable as injustices are so predominant
especially on the part of the Filipino people.
Spaniards have been so evidently using religion to achieve their personal desires and to also
rise to power. It was a reflection of the unfortunate events that had been present in Rizals time
brought about by the abuse of power by the Spaniards.
-Georgia Louise Daganasol
This novel was written to remind us the bad things that Jose Rizal experienced during his
time by the Spanish. From the very start of this novel, the first plan of our national hero is, to
write this novel with the help of his countryman that is also suffering to the hands of the Spanish,
but suddenly he failed to do it with the help of his countryman, because his countryman lose their
hope in fulfilling their dreams to have freedom in the hands of the Spanish colonies. Jose Rizal
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did not give up, because he continue write this novel without the help of his countryman, and he
decided to write it by himself only. The first chapter of this novel was entitled the paging,
wherein, in this chapter stated the lifestyle of Don Santiago de los Santos also known as Kapitan
Tiago, he was from Binondo and he was the step father of Maria Clara according to this chapter.
In this chapter, the other characters was Padre sibyla, Padre Damaso, and Tenyente Guevarra.
According to this chapter, Capitan Tiago invited the said characters to go to his house and have a
simple gathering, but suddenly it came to a fight between Padre Damaso and Tenyente Guevarra
because of the ereheng namatay. Padre Sibyla stops the rivalry between the two. The second
chapter was entitled Ang binatang si Crisostomo. Where in in, this chapter, Kapitan Tiago
present Don Crisostomo Ibarrato the priest, the son of his deceased friend named Don Rafael
Ibarra.
- Jayby G. Sarmiento
I can say that I learned much about being a Filipino patriot but he sized abroad and the
progress or growth of the independence of our country and how basically ignored the lack of
dominance in our country. Noli me Tangere shows the love of the mother to child, the love of
men to women and the love of country. Here I also learned that government was blinded by
money.
This shows the significance of love between Maria Clara and Crisostomo the true romance
wasnt lost. You can also learn how to value the love of the mother to child like Crispin and
Basilio, a mother is willing to do sacrifice everything for the sake of her children. Truly powerful
love, it can add colors to people who have miserable lives.
I also read here that money circulating in our Society then, if you have no money youre
treated as reject and from then until now money can cover your sins, and if you are poor you do

not serve your society like you have a life dead means you're still alive but if you have no money
you think your dead already.
- Ian Dominic Sy
V. SUMMARY OF POINTS
First point we would like to stress based on our reactions on the Novel is that Rizal has
created the novel to serve as a reflection of the ills in the society brought about by the unjust
governance of the Spanish authorities and clergy. They have been using religion to their own
advantage and abusing their power and authority to discriminate the lowly Filipino citizens who
will always be at the losing end.
Another point is that money and social status are very powerful things at that time and even
up to this day. With money, one can bend the truth and a high social status would make one
influential.
VI. CONCLUSION
Noli Me Tangere is a direct reflection of the Philippine Society. Its timeless message is still
applicable in todays time although this has been written for over a hundred years now. The issue
of equality is something that we are yet to achieve. Although some may claim that we are in a
democratic country and everyone has equal rights, some people still emerge superior among
others and usually its still the rich and powerful individuals who are given more significant
ideals and decisions in todays society.