The Filipino youths of today, have never possessed the intellectual pleasures of reading a historically

significant novel, like Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” For the young generation, doing this fruitful activity
is some sort of a compulsion rather than a productive urge of their freewill or volition to do so. Like for
instance, a college student like us is required to do investigation about Rizal in order to pass this subject,
without taking into consideration the importance of the task that we are assigned to do. This is a truly
bitter reality of how modern our world, now is. However, let us discussed the great impact of Noli me
tangere and his first home coming.

Rizal’s First Homecoming (1887-1888)

Rizal’s plans of coming back home

As early as 1884, Rizal wanted to go back to the Philippines for the following reasons:

•Financial difficulties in Calamba

•Dissatisfaction with his studies in Madrid

•Desire to prove that there is no reason to fear going home.

•His belief that the Spanish regime will not punish the innocent.

Decision to return home

After five years of his memorable sojourn in Europe, Rizal returned to the Philippines.However, Rizal was
warned by the following not to return to the Philippines because his Noli Me Tangere angered the friars:

•Paciano Mercado – Rizal’s adviser and only brother.

•Silvestre Ubaldo – Rizal’s brother in law; husband of Olimpia.

•Jose Ma. Cecilio (Chenggoy) – one of Rizal’s closest friends.

But still Rizal was determined to come back to the Philippines for the following reasons:

•To operate his mother’s eyes

•To serve his people who had long been oppressed by Spanish tyrants.

•To find out for himself how the Noli Me Tangere and his other writings were affecting Filipinos and
Spaniards.

•To inquire why Leonor Rivera remained silent.

Rizal arrives in Manila

•Rizal left Rome by train to Marseilles, a French port and boarded Djemnah, the same steamer that
brought him to Europe five years ago.

•There were 50 passengers: 4 Englishmen, 2 Germans, 3 Chinese, 2 Japanese, 40 Frenchmen, and 1

Filipino (Rizal)

•When the ship reached Aden, the weather became rough and some of Rizal’s book got wet.

•In Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam – he transferred to another steamer, Haiphong, that brought him to
Manila.

Happy Homecoming

When Rizal arrived in Calamba, rumors spread that he was a;

•German spy

•An agent of Otto Von Bismarck

•the liberator of Germany.

• A Protestant

•A Mason

•A soul halfway to damnation

When Rizal arrived to his hometownt,Paciano did not leave him during the first days after arrival to
protect him from any enemy assault and Don Francisco did not permit him to go out alone.

In Calamba

Rizal established a medical clinic and Doña Teodora was his first patient.He treated her eyes but could
not perform any surgical operation because her cataracts were not yet ripe.

What is Noli Me Tangere?

Noli Me Tangere is a Spanish novel penned by a genius writer, a Filipino propagandist and a Philippine
national hero, Jose Protacio Rizal.He was able to finish “Noli Me Tangere” in December, 1886.and it was
published in the year 1887 in Berlin, Germany.

According to MICHAEL “XIAO” CHUA, Jose Rizal wrote the Noli Me Tangere for the benefit of the indios.
But it was not meant for indios to read. The mere fact that he wrote it in the Spanish language and not
Tagalog tells us that he had a different audience in mind: The Spaniards and their government, so that
they could grant the necessary reforms to the indios, which included representation, the granting of
equal rights and the distinction of being a province.

Literature Study Guides and Chapter Summaries / By Celine Bernadette Francisco / Homework Help &
Study Guides

Freedom From Spain

"Noli Me Tangere," the first novel written by the Philippine’s national hero Jose Rizal, mirrors its
creator’s persistence in attaining freedom from the Spaniards. True enough, as Rizal aimed to redeem
the country and its people by exposing the barbarity, greed, cruelty and ignorance of the Spanish
colonizers, his work reflected the struggles of the Tagalogs — being the first to project such a bold
account of living in the 1800s in the Philippines. Likewise, as "Noli Me Tangere" portrays the different
aspects of gaining independence, Jose Rizal focuses on social climbers, abusive power, family devotion,
self sacrifice, and purity and faithfulness.

Social Climbers

Representing the various classes of society during the late 1800s in the Philippines, Jose Rizal includes
personalities such as Doña Victorina and Capitan Tiago. These characters, indeed, show how people
tend to associate with higher classes of society, specifically the Spaniards and the illustrados (“learned"
ones) and mestizos. Capitan Tiago, in this instance, portrays this character as he gives friars lumps of
money as ecclesiastical donations and even invites the parish curate at his home every dinner. Aside
from that, he also supports the government’s tax increases, leading to his title of gobernadorcillo, the
highest post a non-Spaniard can attain.

obsession in becoming Spanish. She does this by covering her face with too much makeup, dressing just
like Spanish women, speaking Spanish (though incorrectly), and basically promotes the “colonial
mentality" as she prefers being just like a Spaniard when in fact she is a Filipino.

Abusive Power

Having been colonized by Spaniards since the 1500s, the author depicts the Filipinos suffering abuse
from civil guards, friars and other government officials. Using their power to mistreat civilians, the civil
guards harass them because of simple causes, such as not rendering the customary salute, not being
able to show identification cards, etc. The same goes with friars who commercialize religion through
simony and plenary indulgence. Government officials, likewise, make use of their power to control those
whom they believe would be detrimental to the Spanish rule. Just as Crisostomo Ibarra, the main
character in the novel, experiences this through the death of his father (Don Rafael), this theme in "Noli
Me Tangere" comes to life.

Family Devotion

Never forgetting the positive qualities of the Filipinos, Jose Rizal still highlights devotion to one’s family
through Crisostomo Ibarra, Maria Clara and Sisa. With the death of Don Rafael, Ibarra’s father,
Crisostomo traces all means to seek for justice. This is also true with Maria Clara, an obedient daughter
to Capitan Tiago. Consenting to her father’s request that she marry a Spaniard (as requested by Padre
Damaso), Maria Clara adheres to this (but gets very ill afterward). Sisa, on the other hand, definitely
shows her devotion to her family by doing everything to serve her family. Considering her children
(Basilio and Crispin) as her treasures, she endures the trials she goes through just to keep them secure.

Self Sacrifice

Jose Rizal

Just as Jose Rizal sacrificed himself for his country, "Noli Me Tangere" also conveys this message all
throughout its text. Starting off with Sisa’s never-ending sacrifices for her children, she withstands her
husband’s beatings and even takes on the journey of finding her sons, thereby showing her real love as a
mother.

Purity and Faithfulness

Maria Clara portrays purity and faithfulness as she remains true to her love for Crisostomo Ibarra. Even
though she is engaged to a Spaniard, she still does not submit herself to him because of her undying love
for Ibarra. Thus, she prefers to become a nun and hence dies afterward when Padre Salvi rapes her.

Patriotism

Another very evident theme in the novel turns out to be patriotism. Portrayed by Crisostomo Ibarra and
Elias, these two men earnestly desire for independence from the oppressors. Although different in their
means for seeking reform, they both profess their goals.
Since Elias resolves for a revolt against the Spaniards, he finds all means to lead a revolution against the
friars, civil guards and government officials. Believing that God will bring forth justice over Filipinos
depicts patriotism by all means.

All in all, "Noli Me Tangere" shall forever remain as one of the most powerful tools the Philippines has
ever had to spread awareness on the “social cancer" and to fight for independence. As Jose Rizal used
various themes to spread the word regarding the battle against abusive power, injustice, false religious
claims and other inappropriate dealings with innocent people, the cause Rizal started more than a
hundred years ago shall endure.

References

Gagelonia, Pedro A. Rizal's Life, Works, and Writings. National Bookstore, Inc., 1974.Jose Rizal University.
"Noli Me Tangere: Mga Tauhan", https://www.joserizal.ph/no02.htmlImage Credit: Jose Rizal on a Mug
by Michael Francis McCarthy under CC BY 2.0

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