Noli Me Tangere

• Ibarra (Crisostomo Ibarra Y Magsalin)

  • Description: Liberal European-educated Filipino, loyal son, courageous, civic-minded,

  liberty-loving, and patriotic.

  • Symbolism: Represents Filipino culture forged in Europe among young students whom

  Jose Rizal endeavored to involve in the national movement. Embodies the idea of

  Liberalism.

  • Importance Today: Ibarra's character is significant in today's society as a

  representation of the educated and enlightened Filipino youth advocating for progress,

  liberty, and nationalism.
• The Couple Capitan Tiago and Doña Pia

  • Description: Wealthy Filipino man and his wife.

  • Symbolism: Represent the bleak future of the Philippines under Spanish rule.

  • Importance Today: Their characters highlight the need for vigilance against

  neocolonial influences and the importance of forging a future independent of foreign

  domination.
• Elias

  • Description: Humble, courageous, thoughtful, and farsighted, from a persecuted

  family.

  • Symbolism: Represents the resilient core of pre-Spanish Filipino culture that survived

  Spanish colonization.

  • Importance Today: Elias embodies the spirit of resistance and the importance of

  remembering and preserving indigenous culture amidst globalization.
• Don Rafael Ibarra

  • Description: Crisostomo's father, a rich landlord with a social conscience,

  philanthropist.

  • Symbolism: Symbolizes the wealthy with social responsibility and independent views,

  in opposition to corrupt authorities like Father Damaso.

  • Importance Today: Highlights the role of socially responsible businesses and

  individuals in promoting ethical governance and community welfare.
• Tasio (Pilosopo Tasio)

  • Description: Intellectual with ideas ahead of his time, misunderstood by his

  generation.

  • Symbolism: Represents Filipino intellectuals who stayed in the country and later

  disengaged from religious tutelage.

  • Importance Today: Tasio's character underscores the need for critical thinking and

  progressive ideas in societal development.
• Kapitan Tiago (Anastacio De Los Santos)

  • Description: Rich landowner, subservient to authorities, religious fanatic.

  • Symbolism: Represents the oligarchic Filipino who prioritizes personal interests and

  maintains peace with the government and church.

  • Importance Today: Reflects the ongoing struggle between personal gain and societal

  good, highlighting issues of corruption and complicity.
• Doña Victorina De Los Reyes De Espadana

  • Description: Pure-blooded Filipina who disdains Filipino culture and imitates Spanish customs.

  • Symbolism: Embodies colonial mentality.

  • Importance Today: Her character warns against the dangers of colonial mentality and the importance of embracing and valuing one's own culture.
• Doña Consolacion

  • Description: Mistress of the Alferez, abusive towards Sisa.

  • Symbolism: Another woman who passes herself off as a Peninsular.

  • Importance Today: Highlights issues of identity and the often destructive desire to

  assimilate into a colonizing culture.
• Maria Clara

  • Description: Pious, beautiful, faithful lover, self-sacrificing, convent-educated.

  • Symbolism: Represents the conservative Filipino womanhood.

  • Importance Today: Maria Clara's character reflects the ongoing tension between

  traditional values and modern feminist ideals.
• Sisa

  • Description: Mother of Crispin and Basilio, driven to madness by societal neglect.

  • Symbolism: Illustrates society's neglect and maltreatment of the marginalized.

  • Importance Today: Sisa's plight emphasizes the need for social justice and support for the vulnerable sectors of society.
• The Gobernadorcillo

  • Description: Despotic towards subordinates, blindly obedient to superiors.

  • Symbolism: Signifies authoritarianism and lack of autonomy.

  • Importance Today: His character is a reminder of the dangers of authoritarian rule and the importance of dignified and just leadership.
• The School Teacher

  • Description: Educated individual advocating for better teaching methods.

  • Symbolism: Represents educational reform and opposition to corporal punishment.

  • Importance Today: Highlights the need for continuous improvement in the education

  system to foster holistic learning environments.
• Padre Damaso

  • Description: Gross, tyrannical Franciscan, biological father of Maria Clara.

  • Symbolism: Represents corrupt old missionaries who abused their power.

  • Importance Today: His character reflects ongoing issues of corruption and abuse of

  power within institutions.
• Padre Salvi

  • Description: Young missionary who follows corrupt footsteps of predecessors.

  • Symbolism: Represents the perpetuation of old, oppressive practices by new

  authorities.

  • Importance Today: Padre Salvi's character is a caution against the perpetuation of

  outdated and harmful traditions by new generations.
• Author: José Rizal, a Filipino nationalist and doctor, wrote Noli Me Tangere to expose

  the social injustices in the Philippines under Spanish rule.

  • Inspiration: He was inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and

  European liberal ideas.

  • Writing Process: Rizal started writing in Madrid, continued in Paris, and finished in

  Berlin with help from a friend.
• Noli Me Tangere means "Touch me not," taken from the Bible, John 20:13-17, where

  Jesus tells Mary Magdalene not to touch him.
• Main Character: Crisostomo Ibarra, a young Filipino who returns from Europe with

  ideas for reform.

  • Conflict: Ibarra faces resistance from corrupt priests and officials.
• Key Events:

  o Ibarra's father, Don Rafael, dies and is denied a Catholic burial by Padre Damaso.

  o Ibarra confronts Damaso, gets excommunicated, but the decree is later lifted.

  o Ibarra plans to build a school but faces opposition from Padre Salvi and others.

  o Ibarra is falsely accused of leading an insurrection.

  o Maria Clara, Ibarra’s love, is manipulated into betraying him to protect a family

  secret.

  o Ibarra escapes prison with Elias’s help, but one of them is killed while fleeing.
• Themes and Characters:

  • Oppression: The novel critiques the abuse of power by the church and colonial

  government.

  • Resistance: Ibarra and Elias represent different approaches to fighting oppression –

  peaceful reform versus violent revolution.

  • Symbolism:

  o Maria Clara: Represents the Philippines' beauty and suffering.

  o Sisa: Symbolizes the tragic impact of injustice on ordinary people.
• Significance: The novel awakened Filipino nationalism and inspired future movements

  for independence.
• Early Life: Born in 1861, he was highly educated and influenced by his mother.

  • Education: Studied in Manila, Spain, Paris, and Heidelberg.

  • Propaganda Movement: A key figure advocating for reforms through writings and

  activism.

  • Later Life: Returned to the Philippines, continued advocating for change, was exiled,

  and eventually executed in 1896.

  • Legacy: Rizal is celebrated as a national hero for his contributions to Filipino identity

  and independence.
• Noli Me Tangere is a novel by José Rizal exposing social injustices in the Philippines

  under Spanish rule.

  2. The story follows Crisostomo Ibarra’s struggle for reform and his conflicts with corrupt

  authorities.

  3. The novel highlights the themes of oppression, resistance, and the tragic consequences of

  injustice.

  4. Rizal’s work played a crucial role in awakening Filipino nationalism and inspiring future

  generations.