4. NoliMe Tangere is appreciated by many for its narrative
that takes the readers through the eyes of the characters.
A journey of Love and
Deception, Struggles and
Triumphs.
Presents pressing questions
about power and social in
equalities.
5. -Jose Rizal’s first novel.
-Considered one of the most important written
outputs at the height of his intellectual endeavors
in Europe.
-This novel, Rizal gathered his academic insights
as he tapped his knowledge of various fields and
wove a narrative that aimed to represent, if not
expose, the realities of nineteenth century
colonial life in the Philippines.
6. THE PUBLICATIONOF THE NOLI ME TANGERE
As a Sojourner in Europe, Rizal participated in the
movement of the Illustrados to utilize propaganda to
campaign for reforms to the Philippines.
Utilizing their intellectual ability, the Illustrados
released various written outputs from news bits, to feature
articles, and commentaries.
They also produced creative outputs from satirical
pieces to world-class paintings.
7. THE PUBLICATIONOF THE NOLI ME TANGERE
Within words was clearly evident in one of his most
famous works, his first novel.
The idea of publishing a book was not alien to Rizal. In a
meeting of Illustrados in 1884, he proposed to write a book
project to be done collaboratively with his fellow writers.
Unfortunately, the project did not materialize.
He eventually decided to write a novel on his own.
8. THE PUBLICATIONOF THE NOLI ME TANGERE
He started to work on the project in 1884 and completed
it in 1887.
Many of his biographers cite several works that
influenced Rizal in the writing of the Noli. One of these is Juan
Luna’s painting, Spolarium, which depicted in the face of
inequalities.
Another is Uncle Tom’s cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher
Stowe that dealth with slavery in America.
9. Another factor that influenced him in writing the
book was when 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.
THE PUBLICATIONOF THE NOLI ME TANGERE
10. THE PUBLICATIONOF THE NOLI ME TANGERE
Rizal finished the first half of the novel in Spain, supposedly
the other half in France, then completed the draft in 1886.
The novel was published the following year in Germany. Lack
of funds delayed the book’s publication until a fellow Illustrado,
Maximo Viola, insisted on lending him 300 pesos for the printing of
the first 2,000 copies.
By 1887, Rizal was already sending out copies of the Noli to
his friends and the book began to take flight.
11. THE MOTIVATIONSBEHINDWRITINGTHE NOLI ME TANGERE
❖ The title, Noli Me Tangere, had biblical reference to the gospel of
the John in which Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and utter
these words: “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my
Father”.
❖ The choice of the title according to Rizal was fitting because he
intended to write about themes that were taboo in the
Philippines for centuries; things that people dared not touch.
12. THE MOTIVATIONSBEHINDWRITINGTHE NOLI ME TANGERE
❖ According to his biographers, Rizal first planned to write his novel in
French, Considered to be the language of the intellectuals in Europe at
that time. He, however, shifted to Spanish because he invented to reach out
to his countrymen in the Philippines.
Rizal Explained:
“I must wake from its slumber the spirit of my country… I must first
propose to my countrymen an example which they can struggle against their
bad qualities, and afterwards, when they have reformed, many writers would
rise up to present my country to proud Europe”(qtd. In Schumacher, 1991,p.93).
13. THE MOTIVATIONSBEHINDWRITINGTHE NOLI ME TANGERE
❖ In the initial pages of the Noli Me tangere, the dedication titled “ A Mi
Patria” clearly articulated Rizal’s purpose for writing the novel’
The project of writing the Noli Me
Tangere, as stated was geared towards
exposing the ills of the Philippine
colonial society under Spain. Thus,
through the passages within the Noli Me
tangere, readers also get glimpse of how
Rizal saw his country.
16. The book, Noli Me Tangere is a fictional-historical novel. It centers around the era of the Spanish
regime, which was a hundred years ago, it was fictional because the main characters are only
made up, but the situation sufferings and experiences of these characters were not false during
the Spanish colonization. There were codes and conventions that helped identify the genre of the
book, an example of a notable code that can be seen in the book is the symbolic code, which is
the clothing of the people at that time, Rizal has portrayed an atmosphere that depicts the old
or traditional clothing of individuals during the Spanish period. An example of a convention
present in the book was that it was real-life, as usually, historical genres takes form from real life
events or occurrences, the protagonist and the other characters was met with real dilemma,
conflict and abuse. It was a message for the people in disguise as a novel, the use of real-life
obstacles made it intriguing and moving for the Filipinos. Also, as a sub-genre it had romance, a
convention of it is about Ibarra and Maria Clara as they portrayed the image of a star-crossed
lovers, their love was tested against the friars and other mishaps, and lastly, both were
separated, as their love for each other was doomed to fail.
17. PLOT
Ibarra was shown to be rekindling links with his
betrothed Maria Clara. But not everything was fine and
great for Ibarra. Upon his return, He learned about the ills
that overwhelmed his town as well as the abuses of the
friars to which his late father fell victim to, Ibarra found an
antagonist in Padre Damaso, the former curate of San
Diego who ordered that the corpse of his father be disclosed
and reburied in the Chinese cemetery.
18. PLOT
Despite these personal travails, Ibarra preserved to
fulfill the plan of building a school in San Diego, staying true
to his belief that education was crucial for his Nation’s
Progress. Ibarra almost got killed had it or not for Elias, a
boatman, who saved him. Elias also previously cautioned
Ibarra about his actions that could anger the friars, after the
incident, Ibarra organized a luncheon.
19. PLOT
Here, another confrontation occurred between Ibarra and
Damaso who attended the Luncheon uninvited. In fit of anger,
Ibarra took a knife against Damaso’s neck threatened slit his
throat as he told everyone to the abuses committed by Damaso and
the desecration he did to Ibarra’s Father. Maria Clara calmed
Ibarra and prevented him from killing th friar.
Damaso in an act of revenge, convinced Capitan Tiago, the
Father of Maria Clara, to not allow his daughter to marry Ibarra.
20. CONTEXT and CONTENT of NOLI ME TANGERE
PLOT
After some time, a revolt was blamed on Ibarra, which
caused his incarceration, with the help of Elias, he escaped and
went to see Maria Clara who was soon marrying the man her
father chose for her. In a heartbreaking confrontation, Ibarra and
Maria Clara exchanged accusations and in the process, it was
revealed that Damaso was the true father of Maria Clara.
21. PLOT
As turmoil and confusion overcome the town, Maria
Clara thought Ibarra had been killed. This caused her
endless grief. She ask to be confined to a nunnery lest she
take her own life. It was later revealed that Ibarra was not
dead, and that Elias was the one seriously shot. In the latter
passages, the dying Elias was waiting for Ibarra but instead
he met and talk to the young Basilio.
22. PLOT
It was on Christmas Eve when Elias woke up in the
forest fatally wounded, as it is here where he instructed
Ibarra to meet. Instead, Elias found the altar boy Basilio
cradling his already-dead mother Sisa. The latter lost her
mind when she learned that her two sons, Crispin and
Basilio, where chased out of the convent by the sacristan
mayor on suspicions of stealing a sacred objects.
23. PLOT
He instructed the orphaned boy (his Mother
Sisa, who became insane looking for her young sons,
had died) to find the treasure of Ibarra buried in the
cemetery and use it to get an education. He reminded
Basilio to never lose hope and if one day, freedom and
progress would come to his country, to not forget
those who labored in the night.
24. One famous line from the book was found at the end, it was
from Elias as he stated these words to Basilio:
“I shall die without seeing the dawn break upon my
homeland. You, who shall see it, salute it! Do not forget those
who have fallen during the night.”
And then Elias died thereafter.
25. Within its General Contour of the Narrative,
Rizal wove a complex story and subplots. Reading
through the novels, different characters and their
corresponding stories unfolded as told through the
voices of an unseen narrator. Truly, the pages of the
Noli Me Tangere reflected the lives of people living in
the complicated world of Colonial Philippines.
