Preface

It is not doubt true that we grow towards maturity & independence of thoughts as we

progress through, until now this grades, but this growth is not as rule as sharp & sudden one, nor

does the psychology that undergo any great changes during are tear in secondary. My methods,

general objectives, & certainly, the fundamental principles that underlie the work of the school

remain the same from year to year.

I am so happy to express my especial gratitude to. This time need in every among of us that

bring own growth by making good use of the experiences & providing new & boarders experiment

experiences. You encourage us desire to tell about Rizal’s Work. Life & Writings naturally &

joyfully with full details. In spite of, if we make him feel that we & the entire group discover a value

in what he has to say, as I think he will wish more & to express himself well & successfully.

Noli Me Tangere & El Filibusterismo endeavor, insofar as a storybook can accomplish such

a purpose about Histories, & to create a class atmosphere conducive to us spirit rather than be selfish

& individual spirit gather by our self. By mean Rizal’s prefer to made interested in, courteously &

criticize in a kindly & constructive manner.

Noli Me Tangere & El Filibusterismo studiously exclude from its paragraph and from

whatever is misanthropic or destructive, or psychologically harmful. In the story world it seeks to

create bright world & Paniniil ng Español.

Instead of thinking what actually happen, I stimulate the imaginations & Inspire creative

efforts by taking different varieties of the book which translated to any languages. Therefore taking

some sort of ideas in the class, It has been the aim of the writers to make use of every form of

expression that has been found to be practically & appealing.

Volume or quantities, It has what we may call direction. Noli Me Tangere & El

Filibusterismo is truly cultured storybook, that accept so better because it has been taught to think

clearly & to express itself effectively.

At last! Arrive at this destination long, a very long, voyage. Hope has taken many miles on journey.

Will be enough if we can feel that the given a seaworthy ship & started on his way. To have done

this much --- even to have made a sincere attempt at doing it --- is not a small thing in a day. We all

still children with no sound vessel in which to sail, no known port call , no provision for the journey,

no compass, nor any stars visible through the ragged clouds by which to chart & course.

Learning through listening be proud of Rizal’s Work Life & Writing

Acknowledgements

I wish to express my special thanks to Ms. Joanna Rose Bulgado for accepting my favor to

borrow her book the Noli Me Tangere Tagalog & English Translate. And my old friend Mr. Patrick

Ernest Dausan Aguirre that still ongoing in this year with the same university we are in, for letting

his book borrowed the El Filibusterismo Tagalog Version.

More thanks to the other batches for telling some verses & giving sort of ideas. It helps a lot!

Oops, some persons is missing

Who is the man that guards the lives of hundreds of boys & girls in our school? Hahaha

But without this person this activities would not be more fun special thanks to my brother & sisters,

hopefully they enjoy this experiments of experience

More Powers! Ma’am Kairah Joy Señagan

Thank you!

Introduction

The first half of Noli me Tangere was written in Madrid, Spain from 1884-1885 while Dr.

José P. Rizal was studying for medicine.

While in Germany, Rizal wrote the second half of Noli me Tangere from time-to-time

starting February 21, 1887. After he read the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, he

had an inspiration to write his own novel with the same topic–to expose Spanish colonial abuse in

print. Beecher Stowe's novel describes black slavery abuse done by white men. Rizal suggested to

his fellow Filipino friends in Europe, through writing, to have a meeting and plan for writing a novel

similar to that of Beecher Stowe's. (At this moment, Rizal planned not to write the novel himself, but

through collective efforts done by other Filipinos who shared ideals with him.) In 1884, Rizal and

his friends including the Paterno brothers–Pedro, Maximo, and Antonio; Graciano López-Jaena,

Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Valentín Ventura and Julio Llorento; decided to meet at the

Paternos' house in Madrid. Each of them agreed to write a unified novel. Suddenly, when the writing

began, most of them wanted to change the topic from Spanish abuse to somehow related to women.

Rizal walked-out of the hall and decided to write the novel himself.

The novel El Filibusterismo (literally "The filibuster ") or The Reign of Greed [1] is the

second novel written by national hero of the Philippines that José Rizal , who wholeheartedly

dedicated to the three priests martyrs better known by the stage name gomburza or Gomez, Burgos

and Zamora.  this is continuation or sequel to the Noli Me tangere and like Noli , Rizal suffered

difficulty while writing it and,  like it, written in Spanish . He started work in October of 1887 while

practicing medicine in Calamba .

In London , in 1888, he made many changes to the plot and he developed some

chapters. Rizal continued working on his manuscript while living in Paris , Madrid , and Brussels ,

and he completed it on 29 March 1891, in Biarritz . It was published in the same year inGent . A

named Valentin Ventura to one of his friends lent the money to him maipalimbag and publish the

book properly on 22 September 1891. 

A Summary and a Review/Reflection on El Filibusterismo

Below are some of the major and minor characters in the novel.

Simoun - Crisostomo Ibarra in disguise, left for dead at the end of Noli me tangere. Ibarra

has resurfaced as the wealthy jeweler, Simoun, sporting a beard, blue-tinted glasses, and a

revolver. Fueled by his mistreatment at the hands of the Spaniards and his fury at Maria Clara's

fate, Simoun secretly plans a revolution to seek revenge against those who wronged him.

Basilio - Son of Sisa and another character from Noli Me Tangere. After his mother's death,

he became a vagabond until Captain Tiago took him in out of pity and hired him as

a houseboy in exchange for sending him to school. In the events of the book, he is a graduating

medical student who discovered Simoun's true identity and befriended him. His girlfriend is Juli.

Isagani - Basilio's friend and one of the students who planned to set up a new school. He is

very idealistic and hopes for a better future for the Philippines. His girlfriend was the rich and

beautiful Paulita Gomez, but they broke up once he was arrested. Despite this, his love for her

still endured. He sabotaged Simoun's plans by removing the lamp that contained explosives and

threw it in the waters.

Kabesang Tales - Cabeza Telesforo Juan de Dios, a former cabeza de barangay (barangay

head) of Sagpang, a barangay in San Diego's neighboring town Tiani, who resurfaced as the

feared Luzón bandit Matanglawin. He is the son of Tandang Selo, and father of Juli and Tano.

Don Custodio - Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo, a famous "journalist" who

was asked by the students about his decision for the Academia de Castellano. In reality, he is

quite an ordinary fellow who married a rich woman in order to be a member of Manila's high

society.

Paulita Gómez - The girlfriend of Isagani and the niece of Doña Victorina, the

old Indio who passes herself off as a Peninsular, who is the wife of the quack doctor Tiburcio de

Espadaña. In the end, she and Juanito Peláez are wed, and she dumps Isagani, believing that she

will have no future if she marries him.

Macaraig - One of Isagani's classmates at the University of Santo Tomas. He is a rich

student and serves as the leader of the students yearning to build the Academia de Castellano.

Father Florentino - Isagani's godfather, and a secular priest; was engaged to be married, but

chose to be a priest after being pressured by his mother, the story hinting at the ambivalence of

his decision as he chooses an assignment to a remote place, living in solitude near the sea. He

took in Don Tiburcio de Espandaña when he was hiding from his wife, Donya Victorina.

Huli - Juliana de Dios, the girlfriend of Basilio, and the youngest daughter of Kabesang

Tales. To claim her father from the bandits, she had to work as a maid under the supervision of

Hermana Penchang. Eventually, she was freed but committed suicide after Father Camorra

attempted to rape her.

Juanito Pelaez - A favorite student of the professors. They belong to the noble Spanish

ancestry. After failing in his grades, he became Paulita's new boyfriend and they eventually wed.

Doña Victorina - Victorina delos Reyes de Espadaña, known in Noli Me Tangere as

Tiburcio de Espadaña's cruel wife. She is the aunt of Paulita Gomez, and favors Juanito Pelaez

over Isagani. She is searching for her husband, who has left her and is in hiding. Although of

Indio heritage, she considers herself as one of the Peninsular.

Father Camorra - The lustful parish priest of Tiani, San Diego's adjacent town who has

longtime desires for young women. He nearly raped Juli causing the latter to commit suicide.

Ben-Zayb - The pseudonym of Abraham Ibañez, a journalist who believes he is the "only"

one thinking in the Philippines. Ben-Zayb is an anagram of Ybanez, an alternate spelling of his

name.

Placido Penitente - A student of the University of Santo Tomas who was very intelligent

and wise but did not want, if not only by his mother's plea, to pursue his studies. He also

controls his temper against Padre Millon, his physics teacher. During his High School days, he

was an honor student hailing from Batangas.

Hermana Penchang - Sagpang's rich pusakal (gambler). She offers Juli to be her maid so

the latter can obtain money to free Kabesang Tales. Disbelieving of Juli and her close friends,

she considers herself as an ally of the friars.

Tiburcio de Espadaña - Don Tiburcio is Victorina de Espadaña's lame husband. He is

currently in hiding at Father Florentino's.

Father Írene - Captain Tiago's spiritual adviser. Although reluctant, he helped the students

to establish the Academia de Castellano after being convinced by giving him a chestnut. The

only witness to Captain Tiago's death, he forged the last will and testament of the latter so

Basilio will obtain nothing from the inheritance.

Quiroga - A Chinese businessman who dreamed of being a consul for his country in the

Philippines. He hid Simoun's weapons inside his house.

Don Timoteo Pelaez - Juanito's father. He is rich businessmen and arranges a wedding for

his son and Paulita. He and Simoun became business partners.

Tandang Selo - Father of Kabesang Tales and grandfather of Tano and Juli. He raised the

sick and young Basilio after he left their house in Noli me tangere. He died in an encounter on

the mountains with his son Tales, when he was killed by a battalion that included his own

grandson, Tano.

Father Fernández - The priest-friend of Isagani. He promised to Isagani that he and the

other priests will give in to the students' demands.

Sandoval - The vice-leader of Macaraig's gang. A Spanish classmate of Isagani, he coerces

his classmates to lead alongside him the opening of the Spanish language academy.

Hermana Báli - Another gambler in Tiani. She became Juli's mother-figure and counselor;

helped to release Kabesang Tales from the hands of bandits.

Father Millon - The Physics teacher of the University of Santo Tomas. He always becomes

vindictive with Placido and always taunts him during class.

Tadeo - Macaraig's classmate. He, along with the other three members of their gang,

supposedly posted the posters that "thanked" Don Custodio and Father Irene for the opening of

the Academia de Castellano.

Leeds - An American who holds stage plays starring severed heads; he is good friends with

Simoun.

Tano - Kabesang Tales's elder son after his older sister, Lucia died in childhood. He took up

the pseudonym "Carolina" after returning from exile in the Caroline Islands, and became a civil

guard. He was among the battalion killed his grandfather, Selo, who was part of a group of an

attacking rebels.

Pepay - Don Custodio's supposed "girlfriend". A dancer, she is always agitated of her

"boyfriend"'s plans. She seems to be a close friend of Macaraig.

Gobernador General - The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish

colonial period, this unnamed character pretends that what he is doing is for the good of the

Indios, the local citizens of the country, but in reality, he prioritizes the needs of his fellow

Spaniards living in the country.

Father Hernando de la Sibyla - A Dominican friar introduced in Noli Me Tangere, now the

vice-rector of the University of Santo Tomas.

Pecson - classmate who had no idea on the happenings occurring around him. He suggested

that they held the mock celebration at the panciteria.

Father Bernardo Salvi- Former parish priest of San Diego in Noli Me Tangere, now the

director and chaplain of the Santa Clara convent.

Captain Tiago - Santiago delos Santos, Captain Tiago is Maria Clara's stepfather and the

foster-father to Basilio. His health disintegrates gradually because of his frequent smoking

of opium, which Father Irene unscrupulously encourages despite Basilio's attempts to wean his

guardian off the addiction . Eventually, he died because Father Irene scared him about the revolt

of the Filipinos.

El Filibusterismo Summary Crisostomo Ibarra is back and as Simoun. During the period in

between the story line of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo which is 13 years, Ibarra left the

Philippines and became a wealthy jeweler. He came back to the Philippines as Senor Simoun,

disguised with a beard. He seems to have long abandoned his once vision of ending the despotism of

Spain with words and peace. He becomes hungry for vengeance for all the misfortune our country

has suffered under the tyranny of the Spaniards. And near the end of the novel, when he discovers

that his lover, Maria Clara, died in the convent, he becomes all the more furious. Simoun is a

confidant of the Captain-General. He encourages the government to make bad decisions and to

abuse their power so that it would spark a revolution among the masses. Basilio, now all grown up,

is at first reluctant to join in on Simoun’s idea but ends up being part of the plan. Simoun started

planning uprisings and stashed guns in the shop of an ally. At the wedding reception of newlyweds

(the bride being the ex-girlfriend of one of the friends of Basillo—Isagani), Simoun tells Basilio that

his plan was to conceal an explosive which contains nitroglycerin inside a pomegranate-styled

Kerosene lamp that Simoun will give to the newlyweds as a gift during the wedding reception. The

reception will take place at the former home of the late Captain Tiago, which was now filled with

explosives planted by Simoun. According to Simoun, the lamp will stay lighted for only 20 minutes

before it flickers; if someone attempts to turn the wick, it will explode and kill everyone—important

members of civil society and the Church hierarchy—inside the house. Simoun leaves the reception

early and leaves a note with the words: “Mene Thecel Phares” which means “the future is

predetermined” and is generally implied that a bad event is going to happen. Simoun signed it with

his real name “Juan Crisostomo Ibarra”. The people at the reception were shocked because Ibarra is

supposedly dead. One of the priests who knew Ibarra before the ending of Noli Me Tangere

confirmed to the people that it was the writing of Ibarra. The lamp started to dim… Outside the

house, Basilio was about to walk away because he knew the lamp was going to explode anytime

soon when he saw Isagani, the still heart-broken ex-boyfriend of the bride whose reception was still

going on in the house of Capitan Tiago. Isagani said that he just wanted to congratulate the newly-

weds. Basilio who then feared for the safety of his friend told him about the plan of Simoun. Isagani

ran to the house. A priest was about to fix the lamp but once Isagani got in, he found the lamp and

threw it out the window into the river outside the residence. Since the guards were chasing Isagani,

he himself jumped out of the window into the river as well.

There was an uprising planned by Simoun during the time of the reception. The band got

caught and confessed that Simoun lead them. Ibarra was now wanted both as himself and as

Simoun. Days passed and a good priest found Simoun walking along the shore, wounded and weak.

The noble priest tended to Simoun while the latter explained that he is Ibarra and that he was greatly

saddened and angry due to the failure of the revolution and that he was questioning God as to why

he was the one who is suffering and not the ones who have forsaken the people of the Philippines.

The priest explains that all punishments will come in due time. Ibarra died as he weakly held the

hand of the priest. The latter blessed the former and threw away all the remaining jewels of Ibarra in

the hopes that they may always be used for good. Review/Reflection: Everyone agrees on the fact

that El Filibusterismo is far more dark and brutal that Noli Me Tangere. With many events of

murder, sexual abuse and suicide, El Filibusterismo is a massive turning point not only for the plot

but also for the characters. Crisostomo Ibarra really did grow as a character in this book. He is

obviously not the idealistic and open man he was once before. He became vengeful, angry and in

somewhat way, cunning. And in my opinion, this transformation of his is very much human and

real. After everything he went through in Noli Me Tangere, it seems only fitting that he becomes the

man who is Simoun. I believe that when Ibarra went under alias Simoun, he did not just strip

himself of his birth name but he stripped himself of all of what was left of Juan Crisostomo Ibarra.

The way I see it, is that Ibarra is not Simoun and Simoun is not Ibarra. They may share the same

face, but if we are not speaking about physical attributes, then the only thing they truly did have in

common was love for the dear Maria Clara. But besides that, they do not share the same mind, the

same plans, the same soul, the same heart. In terms of moral lesson, El Filibusterismo is what I’d

choose over Noli Me Tangere. El Filibusterismo showed us how anger and vengeance can take over

a person’s being. I also find very much delight in the conversation between Ibarra and Father

Florentino: As Ibarra asked on his death bed, “But how come He [God] had not punished those who

are evil surpasses mine?” The priest said, “Do not blame him; His [God’s] punishments are meted

out all in their due time!” We all want to do well. We all want to be righteous people who choose

what is right over

What is wrong? But it is just so tiring being the good person. So sometimes, when

misfortune comes our way, we just find ourselves asking the heavens: “Why, oh why me, God?!

Have I not done enough good? Aren’t there others who deserve this more?” But like what Father

Florentino said, all punishments for all people will come when the time is right. Being a good person

is rewarding. Not entirely in the sense of blessings but in the sense that you know that you did what

is good and your heart just feels ever so light. This is the stage that Ibarra underwent in the first

book. But in the second book, he was just so tired that he ended up being a person who he most

likely, never wanted to be. At the end of the book, I believe he ended up being the man we started

with. He seemed to have no anger; he seemed to be in a state of peace. I believe that doing your best

to never tire in doing well is one of the central themes of the book. El Filibusterismo also shares the

theme that ‘violence is not the answer’ with Noli Me Tangere. Simoun’s grand plan thwarted. When

he asked Father Florentino about this, the friar answered with, “Perhaps He [God] saw there was no

justice in the way you wanted it done.” If you don’t remember, the way Simoun ‘wanted it done’

was by blowing up the house of the late Capitan Tiago which had many Spaniards with important

positions in said house with dynamite. It doesn’t seem to have justice after all. Somebody may

counter this thought with “But the Spaniards were abusive!” but when you think of it, would we

really want to stoop down to that level of violence and rage? I think not. El Filibusterismo is an

exciting and raw book and I do plan on reading it again soon.

The novel and its history Objectives of Dr. Rizal Synopsis. Characters. Noli and Fili

compared El filibusterismo.

It is the second novel written by José Rizal as the sequel to Noli Me Tangere. Like Noli Me

Tangere, it was written in Spanish (The Touch Me Not). “The reign of Greed” in English• It consist

of 38 chapters Rizal dedicated El Filibusterismo to the three martyred priests of Cavite mutiny. The

execution of the three priests was significant to the title of the novel. The title Rizal had to define the

word filibustero to his German friend Ferdinand Blumentritt, who did not understand his use of the

word in Noli MeTangere. In a letter, Rizal explained: «The word filibustero is little known in the

Philippines. The masses do not know it yet. I heard it for the first time in 1872 when the tragic

executions took place.” “I still remember the panic that this word created. Our father forbade us to

utter it, as well as the words Cavite, Burgos, etc. The Manila newspapers and the Spaniards apply

this word to one whom they want to make are volutionary suspect.”

“The Filipinos belonging to the educated classfear the reach of the word. It does not have the

meaning of freebooters; it rather means a dangerous patriot who will soon be hanged or well, a

presumptuous man." Rizal took 3 years to write his second novel.

Rizal began writing El Filibusterismo in October 1887 while he was in Calamba In London

(1888), he revised the plot and some chapters. Rizal continued to work on his manuscript in Paris.•

He later moved to Brussels where the cost of living was cheaper and he would be less likely to be

distracted by social events so he could focus on finishing the book. • He finally completed the book

on March 29, 1891 in Biarritz. September 18, 1891- the novel was published in Ghent, partially

funded by Rizals friend Valentin Ventura.. Rizal immediately sent on this date two printed copies to

Hong Kong- one for Basa and other for Sixto Lopez.

Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an autographed printed copy to Valentin

Ventura. Rizal sent complimentary copies to Blumentritt, Mariano Ponce, Graciano Lopez Jaena,

Antonio Luna, T.H. Pardo de Tavera, Juan Luna and other friends. The El Nuevo Regimen-liberal

Madrid newspaper serialized the novel in its issues of October 1891. Original manuscript of El

filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting is now preserved in the Filipiniana Division of the Bureau

of Public libraries in Manila. Acquired by Philippine government from Valentin Ventura for 10,000

pesos. Consists of 279 pages of long sheets paper.

1. To defend Filipino people from foreign accusations of foolishness and lack of knowledge.

2. To show how the Filipino people live during Spanish colonial period and the cries and woes of his

countrymen against abusive officials.

3. To discuss what religion and belief can really do to everyday lives.4.To expose the cruelties, graft

and corruption of the false government and honestly show the wrong doings of Filipinos that led to

further failure.

The book narrates there turn of the protagonist of Noli Me Tangere, Crisostomo Ibarra, under

the disguise of a wealthy jeweler named Simoun. Disillusioned by the abuses of the Spanish, Ibarra

abandons his pacifist beliefs in order to return to the Philippines and start a violent revolution. Noli

Me Tangere’s Basilio, now a young man and a skilled medical student, is recruited by Ibarra to aid

him in detoning a bomb at asocial gathering, signaling the beginning of the revolution. However,

Basilio warns his friend Isagani. Realizing that the woman he loves is in the building, Isagani throws

the bomb into the river, averting the explosion and the revolution. Implicated in these

matters,Simoun commits suicide by taking poison and finds resting place at the home of a

priest,Father Florentino, who hears his last confession and assures him that not all hope islost. The

priest (Father Florentino), upon Simoun’s death, commends the jewels into the sea, remarking that

the jewels once used to bribe and corrupt people, would one day be hopefully found to be used for a

meaningful purpose.

Simoun Basilio Maria Juli Clara Isagani Paulita Juanito Gomez Makaraig Pelaez Father

DonCamorra Ben Zayb Custodio Placido Penitente Kabesang Gobernador Pecson Tales General

Father Quiroga FatherFernandez Florentino Dona Sandoval FatherVictorina Sibyla Father Father

Pepay Irene Salvi Other Characters:Hermana Penchang Father MillonTiburcio de Espadana

TadeoDon Timoteo Pelaez LeedsTandang Selo Tano Hermana Bali.

A Summary and Review/Reflection of Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere was originally written in Spanish. Specifically, when Noli was translated into

the Tagalog language, many names were retained with their Spanish spelling. However, when later

Tagalog editions came into print, apart from removing the diacritics, names were modified into

Tagalog orthography. Although many names in the novel retained the Spanish spelling, a vast

majority is in Tagalog.

Crisóstomo Ibarra is spelled now Crisostomo Ibarra in Tagalog and English texts of Noli.

María Clara is now spelled Maria Clara, while others spelled the name as Mariya

Klara or Mariya Clara.

Padre Dámaso is now spelled as Padre Damaso, other books use the conventional Pari

Damaso (pari being the Filipino word for father-priest, even though padre is a Filipino word

too). In English, Father Damaso is used.

Capitán Tiago is now spelled Kapitang Tiyago or Kapitan Tiyago, although in English it is

widely known as Captain Tiyago or Captain Tiago.

Filósofo Tasyo is now spelled Pilosopong Tasyo or Pilosopo Tasyo. In English, it is Pilosopo

Tacio, Sage Tacio, Sage Tasyo, or any word that describes somebody with incredible

intelligence. Tacio can also be an alternate for Tasyo.

Elías is now spelled Elias. Elijah is not acceptable.

Doña Consolación is now spelled Donya Consolacion.

Alférez is now spelled Alperes. English texts employ the use of Alferez although some use the

word's semi-equivalent, lieutenant-general.

Gobernador General is now spelled Gobernador Heneral (or with the dash in between the

words Gobernador and Heneral). In English, it is Governor-general.

Teniente is now spelled tinyente or tenyente. In English, it is lieutenant.

Guardia Civil is now spelled guardiya sibil, guwardiya sibil or guardia sibil. In English, it

is civil guard.

Gobernadorcillo is now spelled gobernadorsilyo. In English it is still spelled the same way as

Spanish.

Noli Me Tangere, by Dr. Jose Rizal, starts off at the house of the wealthy man Capitan

Tiago. Here we find Padre Damaso speaking ill-y of Filipinos. A few moments later, the story‟s

protagonist makes his first appearance. He is Crisostomo Ibarra, a rich young man who has just

returned from Europe after 7 years of studying there. He is the son of the late Don Rafael Ibarra,

whose death is later revealed to be because of him protecting a young Filipino boy from a Spanish

tax collector. Padre Damaso, being an adversary of Don Ibarra, starts to both indirectly and directly

insult Crisostomo. Ibarra, instead of retorting, excuses himself and says that he has business matters

to attend to. In the following days, Ibarra talks to his sweetheart Maria Clara--daughter of Capitan

Tiago, and tries to visit his father‟s grave. And to Ibarra‟s shock, the place where his father‟s body

should be seems to have been recently dug up. He talks to a gravedigger to find out that a fat friar

asked that the body be transferred to a Chinese cemetery. Who could this friar be? Yes, you‟ve got

it right, Padre Damaso. But only to add insult to the injury, Ibarra finds out the corpse was thrown in

to the lake because there was a storm on the supposed day of transfer. On the other hand, a whole

other story was taking place. The story of Sisa, Basilio and Crispin. The two were accused of being

thieves. Basilio was locked up in the church by the Sacristan-Mayor for his “crimes”. Basilio

escapes from the church and runs away. Sisa, not knowing this, goes to church to get him only to

find out that he is gone. She runs home to be arrested and Crispin nowhere to be found. After being

released from jail, she tries to find her children only to find a bloody garment of Basilio. Due to the

horrifying sight, she loses her mind. Going back to Senor Ibarra, he tried to put up a school wherein

he was almost killed when during the laying of the cornerstone. It was a planned attempt. At a party,

Padre Damaso insults Ibarra‟s father who causes the Crisostomo to leap to his feet and pose a knife

at the priest‟s neck. He did not go on with act because of Maria Clara‟s persuasion. Due to the

event, Ibarra was excommunicated. Because of this, he cannot be with Maria Clara and she is set up

with another man. Ibarra finds out about this and is deeply saddened. Elias, Ibarra‟s

supporter/friend, breaks Ibarra out of jail, gets him on a „banca‟, and they plan to go abroad first.

Before this, Ibarra talks to Maria Clara to find that she do not want to marry her new suitor and that

her true father is not Capitan Tiago but Padre Damaso. He leaves her with a hug. While rowing in

the river, Ibarra and Elias realize that a few Spaniards saw them from a far. Elias tells Ibarra to hide

under the „zacate‟ and Elias jumps off the banca, pretending to be Ibarra, and gets shot. On the other

side of the river, Basilio

Is grieving the death of his mother, Elias comes to him, shot and bloody, and tells him that he

is going to die and that the young Basilio should burn the bodies. He tells the boy that there is gold

under the land that they are standing on. Young Basilio does so. Ibarra is left alone to escape. And

the story ends Review/Reflection: Rizal wrote the novel to open the eyes of our countrymen, to let

them truly see all the oppression our country was going through and that it was time to fight back.

And he did such act fantastically. The novel was not heavy or dreading nor was it sugar coated. It

was raw and real. It showcased abuse of power, sorrow and greed. It showcased the truth. It showed

us how the Spaniards twisted and turned the truth into something that would benefit them. It showed

the inner clockworks of their selfishness and abuse. But despite the dark themes, it described love,

not entirely romantic love, but more importantly love of country and family. Despite all the

hardships and pain Ibarra went through, he kept on knocking down doors; he kept on trying to help.

And in the sense of family love, we can all point to the commonly parodied Sisa. She did everything

in her power to find her children, and despite the fact that she did not live to see the day where she

finds her boys, she loved them until the last inch of her heart. Senor Ibarra also had a deep love for

his father. This is supported by the fact that he let Padre Damaso‟s insults pass but when the priest

tried to pick on his father; it took less than a beat for Ibarra to rise to his father‟s defense. The story

also presented forgiveness. Ibarra was a very forgiving man. He forgave the man who tried to kill

him at the placing of the cornerstone of the school he wanted to build. And since the man who

attempted to murder him died in the placing of the cornerstone, Ibarra even offered to pay for the

burial of the man. Sacrifice also was an important theme in the novel. If Elias did not sacrifice

himself, then Ibarra would not have lived and the uprisings in the sequel of Noli Me Tangere would

most likely not take place. For me there are 2 overall themes (themes that are carried on in to El

Filibusterismo) is that war does not necessarily have to end through means of violence, it could

always be ended peacefully, through words and maybe even forgiveness. And the second being that

there will always be evil people in this world, but there will always be good people as well. And that

when you think the entire world is left to is violence and hatred, you are very much wrong because

1) Words are far stronger than any gun and 2) Good will always prevail.

The Noli me tángere can be regarded as a historical novel, as it has mostly fictional

characters but also historical persons like Father Burgos who lived in actual places within a social

system that was then typical of a colonized land. Admittedly, 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 Espadañas but, on the whole, the novel follows the

basic rules of realism. Humor worked best where a more serious presentation of the general

practices of religion during that time (and even up to present time) would have given the novel a

darker and pessimistic tone. Rizal’s description of the lavish fiesta showed the comic antics at

church and the ridiculous expense for one day of festivities. Noli Me Tangere literally translated, the

Latin words “noli me tangere” means, “touch me not” had taken from John 20:17 when Mary

Magdalene holds on to Jesus and he tells her not to touch him. John 20:17 Jesus said to her: “Stop

clinging to me. For I have not yet ascended to the Father. But be on your way to my brothers and say

to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God.” Cover

Cross- sufferings pomelo blossom and laurel leaves - honor and fidelity Silhouette of a Filipina -

Maria Clara burning torch - rage and passion Sunflower - enlightenment bamboo stalk that were cut

down but grew back - resilience a man in a cassock with hairy feet- priests using religion in a dirty

way chain- slavery whips- cruelties helmet of the Guardia civil arrogance of those in authority

At the top, all that is best in Philippine life: woman, symbolizing constancy, religious faith

symbolized by the tombstone, with a laurel (courage) and the flower of the pomelo, worn by bride

and groom at a wedding and symbolizing purity. The words partly covered by the title are the secret,

inner dedication by Rizal to his parents, the complete text being probably: ‘A mis P(adres.) al

escribir e(sta obra he estado) pensando continuamente e(n vosotros que me) habeis infundido los

(primeros pensamientos) y las primeras ideas; a (vosotros os dedi)co este manuscrito de me

(joventud com p)rueba de amor. Berlin, (21 de Febrero de) 1887. To the left of the title, the flower

mirasol, representing youth seeking the sun. The author's name, meaning the green of renewal,

mounting up into the green of the most enduring of all Philippine trees, the bamboo. At the bottom,

all that is worst in Philippine life: the helmet of the Civil Guard, the whip and instruments of torture,

and the foot of a friar, in the preface of his novel Rizal promises “to reproduce the condition (of the

country) faithfully, without discrimination”. He wants to sacrifice “to truth everything”. Rizal wrote

in his dedication page in the Noli Me Tangere, “I will strive to reproduce thy condition faithfully,

without discriminations; I will raise a part of the veil that covers the evil…” He clearly stated his

intention of giving an accurate picture of the conditions in the Philippines at the time, and this gives

the reader a good idea what the main theme would be. Theme Theme as an element of fiction is the

idea that runs through the whole novel, repeated again and again in various forms and ways. The

theme of ‘Noli me Tangere’ comes from the Gospel of John. John tells that when Jesus showed

himself after the Resurrection, it was first to Mary Magdalene. Jesus called her and she turned round

and saw him. But Jesus did not want her to touch him. He said literally to her, “Do not cling to me,

because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers and tell them: I am ascending

to my father and you’re Father, my God and you’re God.”

The ‘Noli me Tangere’ or ‘Touch me not’ is a symbol of the need for distance. The ‘Noli

Me Tangere’ is a similar theme of longing and u nfulfillment. There is no more tragic love and of

course no greater love than of two beings unable to reach each other, since such a love eternally

remains unblemished. Rizal's book persistently unmasks contemporary Spaniards in the Philippines

of every kind. He exposes corruption and brutality of the civil guards which drive good men to

crime and banditry. He focuses on an administration crawling with self-seekers, out to make their

fortune at the expense of the 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 Me Tangere is Rizal's exposé of corrupt friars

who have made the Catholic religion an instrument for 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 servile flatterers. Rizal does not, however, spare his fellow countrymen.

The superstitious and hypocritical fanaticism of many who consider themselves religious

people; the ignorance, corruption, and brutality of the Filipino civil guards; the passion for gambling

unchecked by the thought of duty and responsibility; the servility of the wealthy Filipino towards

friars and government officials; the ridiculous efforts of Filipinos to dissociate themselves from their

fellowmen or to lord it over them--all these are ridiculed and disclosed. Rizal nevertheless balances

the national portrait by highlighting the virtues and good qualities of his unspoiled countryman, the

modesty and devotion of the Filipina, the unstinting hospitality of the Filipino family, the devotion

of parents to their children and children to their parents, the deep sense of gratitude, and the solid

common sense of the untutored peasant.

It calls on the Filipino to recover his self-confidence, to appreciate his own worth, to return

to the heritage of his ancestors, and to assert himself as the equal of the Spaniard. It insists on the

need of education, of dedication to the country, and of absorbing aspects of foreign cultures that

would enhance the native traditions.

Characters Major characters Ibarra (Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra y Magsalin) Son of a Filipino

businessman, Don Rafael Ibarra, he studied in Europe for seven years. Ibarra is also María Clara's

fiance. Upon his return, Ibarra requested the local government of San Diego to construct a public

school to promote education in the town. María Clara (María Clara de los Santos y Alba) She was

raised by Capitán Tiago, San Diego's cabeza de barangay and is the most beautiful and widely

celebrated girl in San Diego. In the later parts of the novel, María Clara's identity was revealed as an

illegitimate daughter of Father Dámaso, former parish curate of the town, and Doña Pía Alba, wife

of Capitán Tiago. In the end she entered local covenant for nuns Beaterio de Santa Clara.

Capitán Tiago (Don Santiago de los Santos) is a Filipino businessman and the cabeza de

barangay or head of barangay of the town of San Diego. He is also the known father of María Clara.

He is also said to be a good Catholic, friend of the Spanish government and was considered as

Spanish by colonialists. Capitan Tiago never attended school, so he became a domestic helper of a

Dominican friar who taught him informal education. He married Pía Alba from Santa Cruz. Padre

Dámaso (Dámaso Verdolagas) is a Franciscan friar and the former parish curate of San Diego. He is

best known as a notorious character that speaks with harsh words and has been a cruel priest during

his stay in the town. He is the real father of María Clara and an enemy of Crisóstomo's father, Rafael

Ibarra. Later, he and María Clara had bitter arguments whether she would marry Alfonso Linares or

go to a convent. At the end of the novel, he is again re-assigned to a distant town and is found dead

one day. Elías is Ibarra's mysterious friend and ally. Elías made his first appearance as a pilot during

a picnic of Ibarra and María Clara and her friends. He wants to revolutionize the country and to be

freed from Spanish oppression. Filosofo Tacio(Pilosopo Tasyo) Seeking for reforms from the

government, he expresses his ideals in paper written in a cryptographic alphabet similar from

hieroglyphs and Coptic figures hoping "that the future generations may be able to decipher it" and

realized the abuse and oppression done by the conquerors. His full name is only known as Don

Anastacio. The educated inhabitants of San Diego labeled him as Filosofo Tacio (Tacio the Sage)

while others called him as Tacio el Loco (Insane Tacio) due to his exceptional talent for reasoning.

Sisa, Crispín, and Basilio Sisa, Crispín, and Basilio represent a Filipino family persecuted by the

Spanish authorities. Narcisa or Sisa is the deranged mother of Basilio and Crispín. Described as

beautiful and young, although she loves her children very much, she cannot protect them from the

beatings of her husband, Pedro. Crispín is Sisa's 7-year-old son. An altar boy, he was unjustly

accused of stealing money from the church. After failing to force Crispín to return the money he

allegedly stole, Father Salví and the head sacristan killed him. Basilio is Sisa's 10-year-old son. An

acolyte tasked to ring the church bells for the Angelus; he faced the dread of losing his younger

brother and falling of his mother into insanity. Other characters Padre Hernando de la Sibyla – a

Dominican friar. He is described as short and has fair skin. He is instructed by an old priest in his

order to watch Crisóstomo Ibarra. Padre Bernardo Salví – the Franciscan curate of San Diego,

secretly harboring lust for María Clara. He is described to be very thin and sickly. It is also hinted

that his last name, "Salvi" is the shorter form of "Salvi" meaning Salvation, or "Salvi" is short for

"Salvaje" meaning bad hinting to the fact that he is willing to kill an innocent child, Crispin, just to

get his money back, though there was not enough evidence that it was Crispin who has stolen his 2

onzas. El Alférez or Alperes – chief of the Guardia Civil. Mortal enemy of the priests for power in

San Diego and husband of Doña Consolacion. Doña Consolacíon – wife of the Alférez, nicknamed

as la musa de los guardias civiles (The muse of the Civil Guards) or la Alféreza, was a former

laundrywoman who passes herself as a Peninsular; best remembered for her abusive treatment of

Sisa. Doña Victorina (Doña Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaña) is an ambitious Filipina who

classifies herself as Spanish and mimics Spanish ladies by putting on heavy make-up. Don Tiburcio

de Espadaña – Spanish Quack Doctor who is limp and submissive to his wife, Doña Victorina.

Teniente Guevara - a close friend of Don Rafael Ibarra. He reveals to Crisóstomo how Don Rafael

Ibarra's death came about. Alfonso Linares – A distant nephew of Tiburcio de Espanada, the would-

be fiancé of María Clara. Although he presented himself as a practitioner of law, it was later

revealed that he, just like Don Tiburcio, is a fraud. He later died due to given medications of Don

Tiburcio. Tía Isabel - Capitán Tiago's cousin, who raised Maria Clara. Governor General

(Gobernador Heneral) – Unnamed person in the novel, he is the most powerful official in the

Philippines. He has great disdains against the friars and corrupt officials, and sympathizes Ibarra.

Don Filipo Lino – vice mayor of the town of San Diego, leader of the liberals. Padre Manuel Martín

- he is the linguistic curate of a nearby town, who says the sermon during San Diego's fiesta. Don

Rafael Ibarra - father of Crisóstomo Ibarra. Though he is the richest man in San Diego, he is also the

most virtuous and generous. Dona Pía Alba - wife of Capitan Tiago and mother of María Clara. She

died giving birth to her. In reality, she was raped by Dámaso so she could bear a child. Non-

recurring characters these characters were mentioned in the novel, appeared once, mentioned many

times or have no major contribution to the storyline. Don Pedro Eibarramendia - the great-

grandfather of Crisóstomo Ibarra who came from the Basque area of Spain. He started the

misfortunes of Elias' family. His descendants abbreviated their surname to Ibarra. He died of

unknown reasons, but was seen as a decaying corpse on a Balite Tree. Don Saturnino Ibarra - the

son of Don Pedro, father of Don Rafael and grandfather of Crisóstomo Ibarra. He was the one who

developed the town of San Diego. He was described as a cruel man but was very clever. Salome –

Elías ' sweetheart. She lives in a little house by the lake, and though Elías would like to marry her,

he tells her that it would do her or their children no good to be related to a fugitive like himself.

Sinang - Maria Clara's friend. Because Crisóstomo Ibarra offered half of the school he was building

to Sinang, he gained Capitan Basilio's support

A day, Andeng and Victoria - Maria Clara's other friends. Capitán Basilio - Sinang's father,

leader of the conservatives. Pedro – the abusive husband of Sisa who loves cockfighting. Tandáng

Pablo – The leader of the tulisanes (bandits), whose family was destroyed because of the Spaniards.

El hombre amarillo (apparently means "yellowish person", named as Taong Madilaw) - One of

Crisostomo Ibarra's would-be assassins. He is not named in the novel, and only described as such. In

the novel, he carved the cornerstone for Ibarra's school. Instead of killing Ibarra, he was killed by his

cornerstone. Lucas - the brother of the taong madilaw. He planned a revolution against the

government with Ibarra as the leader after he was turned down by Ibarra. He was said to have a scar

on his left cheek. He would later be killed by the Sakristan Mayor.

Bruno and Tarsilo – a pair of brothers whose father was killed by the Spaniards. Ñor Juan

(Ñol Juan) - appointed as foreman of the school to be built by Ibarra Capitana Tika - Sinang's

mother and wife of Capitan Basilio. Albino - a former seminarian who joined the picnic with Ibarra

and María Clara. Was later captured during the revolution. Capitana María Elena - a nationalist

woman who defends Ibarra of the memory of his father. Capitán Tinong and Capitán Valentín -

other known people from the town of San Diego. Sacristán Mayor - The one who governs the altar

boys and killed Crispín for his accusation. Plot. The plot revolves around Crisostomo Ibarra, mixed-

race heir of a wealthy clan, returning home after seven years in Europe and filled with ideas on how

to better the lot of his countrymen. Striving for reforms, he is confronted by an abusive ecclesiastical

hierarchy and a Spanish civil administration by turns indifferent and cruel. The death of Ibarra’s

father, Don Rafael, prior to his homecoming, and the refusal of a Catholic burial by Padre Damaso,

the parish priest, provokes Ibarra into hitting the priest, for which Ibarra is excommunicated. The

decree is rescinded, however, when the governor general intervenes. The friar and his successor,

Padre Salvi, embody the rotten state of the clergy. Their tangled feelings—one paternal, the other

carnal—for Maria Clara, Ibarra’s sweetheart and rich Capitan Tiago’s beautiful daughter, steel their

determination to spoil Ibarra’s plans for a school. The town philosopher Tasio wryly notes similar

past attempts have failed, and his sage commentary makes clear that all colonial masters fear that an

enlightened people will throw off the yoke of oppression. Using satire brilliantly, Rizal creates other

memorable characters whose lives manifest the poisonous effects of religious and colonial

oppression. Capitan Tiago; the social climber Doña Victorina de Espadaña and her toothless Spanish

husband; the Guardia Civil head and his harridan of a wife; the sorority of devout women; the

disaffected peasants forced to become outlaws: in sum, a microcosm of Philippine society. In the

afflictions that plague them, Rizal paints a harrowing picture of his beloved but suffering country in

a work that speaks eloquently not just to Filipinos but to all who have endured or witnessed

oppression.

Point of conflict Ibarra debates with the mysterious Elias, with whose life his is intertwined.

The privileged Ibarra favors peaceful means, while Elias, who has suffered injustice at the hands of

the authorities, believes violence is the only option. Ibarra’s enemies, particularly Salvi, implicate

him in a fake insurrection, though the evidence against him is weak. Then Maria Clara betrays him

to protect a dark family secret, public exposure of which would be ruinous. Ibarra escapes from

prison with Elias’s help and confronts her. She explains why, Ibarra forgives her, and he and Elias

flee to the lake. But chased by the Guardia Civil, one dies while the other survives. Convinced

Ibarra’s dead, Maria Clara enters the nunnery, refusing a marriage arranged by Padre Damaso. Her

unhappy fate and that of the more memorable Sisa, driven mad by the fate of her sons, symbolize

the country’s condition, at once beautiful and miserable. Crisostomo Ibarr. As the protagonist of the

novel, Crisostomo Ibarra is the character in whose character the main conflict resides. It is easy

enough to identify the external conflicts: Ibarra versus the society of his time -- its values and its

prejudices; Ibarra versus Father Damaso and, indirectly, with the other friars; Ibarra versus Kapitan

Tiago whose very strong sense of self-preservation puts him in direct conflict with the love between

Maria Clara and Ibarra. Maria clara. Maria Clara did not really resolve the conflicts within her; she

chose to escape, by entering the convent as a nun.

Rightly or wrongly, Maria Clara has been held as the ideal Filipina which, perhaps, is the

reason why many Filipinas prefer to be or pretend to prefer being a Maria Clara type with all its

dubious virtues. Many had used the convent as an escape from a world that could not give them

happiness or the fulfilment they crave. Other confilicts . Other conflicts, mostly internal reside in

other characters such as Sisa, Doña Victorina, Doña Consolacion, and Elias. However, the more

internal conflict within Ibarra is the more interesting one, as it expresses the dilemma of present-day

Filipinos: the conflict between traditional values and one’s personal values that had been developed

through time. Denouement the final part of a play, film, etc. in which matters are explained or

resolved. Interestingly, Maria Clara’s escapism was revealed in the Epilogue when two patrolmen

who sought shelter from a storm under the eaves near the nunnery. They saw “a white figure

standing almost on the ridge of the roof with arms and face rose toward the sky as if praying to it”.

She escaped a problem through religion that was itself a part of that problem. Ibarra’s enemies,

particularly Salvi, implicate him in a fake insurrection, though the evidence against him is weak.

Then Maria Clara betrays him to protect a dark family secret, public exposure of which would be

ruinous. Ibarra escapes from prison with Elias’s help and confronts her. She explains why, Ibarra

forgives her, and he and Elias flee to the lake. But chased by the Guardia Civil, one dies while the

other survives. Convinced Ibarra’s dead, Maria Clara enters the nunnery, refusing a marriage

arranged by Padre Damaso. Her unhappy fate and that of the more memorable Sisa, driven mad by

the fate of her sons, symbolize the country’s condition, at once beautiful and miserable.

Conclusion

 NOLI ME TANGERE AND EL FILIBUSTERISMO

   Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo have similarities in terms of aim and purpose. Both aim to

enlighten the Filipinos on what is happening in the country. They want the people to fight for their country

and have the total freedom.

                 One of the great books written by our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, is Noli Me Tangere. It is a

Latin word meaning "Touch Me Not". This book is a societal novel. He started writing it in Madrid, Spain

on 1884, continued in Paris, France and was finished in Berlin, Germany on February 1887. Noli Me

Tangere was dedicated to his Inang Bayan, the Philippines. The history stated in the book "Uncle Tom's

Cabin" of Hariet Beecher Stowe, that tells the suffering of Negro slaves under the cruelty of the Americans,

gave our hero the idea. in writing this book. He saw the similarity of this to the cruelty experienced by the

Filipinos under the Spanish rule. This was published at Imprenta Lette in Berlin, Germany on March 1887

by the help of Dr. Maximo Viola. As thanks, Dr. Rizal gave the original manuscript and the PLUMA he

used in writing the novel to Dr. Viola.

         Another important writing of our hero is the El Filibusterismo. It comes from the word "filibustero"

which means a person who is against the Roman Catholic. This book is a political novel. He started writing

it on 1890 in London, England and was finished in Brussels, Belgium on 1891. This was dedicated to the

"Three Martyrs", GomBurZa (Fr. Mariano Gomez, Fr. Jose Burgos, Fr. Jacinto Zamora). Dr. Rizal believed

that the three martyrs were only a victim of cruelty and loss of justice. They was blamed, with a Sgt.

Lamadrid, to be the leader of Cavite Mutiny on January 1872 and sentenced by garote on February that

year. El Filibusterismo was first published in a publication company in Ghent, Belgium. The publication of

the book was stopped because of financial problem. By the help of Dr. Valentin Ventura, the publication

resumed and was finished on September 1891. As a favor, Dr. Rizal gave the original manuscript of the

novel with an autographed copy of the book.

Bibliography

Noli Me Tangere translated by: Leon Ma. Guerrero

El Filibusterismo translated by:

Referral Books @ the Library Secondary (GNHS-P)

Internet Browsers/ Mozilla Firefox & Google Chrome witht the help

@ https://en.wikipedia.org/

Voyage in English Book

Webster’s Universal English Dictionary

Special Thanks to Webster's New World English Grammar Handbook, Second Edition 2nd Edition

Microsoft Office 2010 Portable