RIZAL8

• Noli Me Tangere, Rizal's first novel, continues to resonate beyond its time and is considered a landmark piece of literature
• Rizal is considered the father of the Filipino novel
• The themes of the Noli revolved around societal issues experienced in the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule
• The Noli generated reactions from readers, ranging from praise to outright ridicule, especially from the Spanish clergy and colonial officials who banned the novel
• Rizal's colleagues in the Propaganda Movement praised his novel, while some Spanish academics like Vicente Barrantes criticized it
• The Noli was translated into several languages soon after its publication, including French, English, and various Philippine languages
• The controversy surrounding the Rizal Law in the 1950s indicated the continuing relevance of the Noli
• Scholars have discussed the politics of translation and the nuances of transforming the Noli text into different forms
• Rizal as a social thinker


  Probably the first systematic social thinker in Southeast Asia
• Noli Me Tangere


  • Rizal's diagnosis of the ills of colonial society, highlighting the role of the church, the state, and the people
  • Emphasizing the importance of education as a tool for progress
  • Exposing the complexities and constraints of the colonial condition
• Rizal participated in the ilustrado movement to utilize propaganda to campaign for reforms in the Philippines
• Rizal started working on the Noli in 1884 and completed it in 1887, influenced by works like Juan Luna's Spoliarium and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin
• Rizal first planned to write the novel in French but shifted to Spanish to reach out to his countrymen in the Philippines
• Rizal: '"I must wake from its slumber the spirit of my country... I must first propose to my countrymen an example with 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"'
• The dedication of the Noli, "A Mi Patria", clearly articulated Rizal's purpose for writing the novel
• The Noli reflected the lives of people living in the complicated world of colonial Philippines