Juan Crisostomo Ibarra 

is a young Filipino who is studying for seven years in Europe, decided to

return to his native land. He is a son of a wealthy landowner, Don Rafael Ibarra who died in prison as
the result of a quarrel with a Franciscan friar, Padre Damaso. Ibarra is also Maria Clara's fiancè, the
only child of the rich Capitan Tiago.

Ibarra work for the betterment of his people ans resolve all problems. He establish a public school in
his native town in his own pocket to show that his intention is clear. He gets a strong supporr
especially Padre Damaso's successor Padre Salvi, for whom Maria Clara confesses to an instinctive
dread.

At the middle of decision making on where they want to lay the new school a suspicious accident
happened to Ibarra’s life occurs, but the festivities proceed until the dinner, Fray Damaso continue
to remind Ibarra about the memory of his father where Ibarra felt insulted. The young man loses
control of himself and is about to kill the friar, good thing Maria Clara was there and prevent Ibarra
from doing so.

Padre Damaso, Maria Clara's Godfather did everything he can to interfere with the arrangement.
Capitan Tiago, through his fear of the friars, he is forced to break the relationship and agree to the
marriage of Maria Clara with a young Spaniard arranged by Padre Damaso. As Maria Clara grew up
being obedient to her father's commands, Maria Clara agreed to this arrangement, and becomes
seriously ill, medicines that saved her is sent secretly by Ibarra and by a girl friend.

But before Ibarra can explain matters, the Civil Guard is secretly brought by Padre Salvi’s agents and
leads to ruin Ibarra. He is warned by a mysterious friend, An outlaw called Elias, the life that Ibarra
saved. He refuses to make his escape, and when the outbreak occurs, he is arrested and thrown into
prison in Manila.

On the evening when Capitan Tiago throws a party at his house in Manila to celebrate his supposed
daughter’s engagement, Ibarra makes his escape from prison and went to see Maria Clara alone. The
letter had been secured from her in exchange for two others written by her mother just before her
birth, it says that Padre Damaso is Maria Clara's real father. The letters had been discovered by
Padre Salvi in the convento who made use of the letter to intimidate Maria Clara. She tells him that
she will marry the young Spaniard, but she will remain true to him. She sacrifice herself to save her
mother’s name and Capitan Tiago’s reputation and to prevent a public scandal to happen.

Ibarra’s escape is because of Elias, who throws him in a banka from Pasig to the Lake.

On Christmas Eve, Elias appears at the Ibarra's wounded and dying, he find a boy named Basilio
beside his mother's corpse, a poor woman who had been abused by tge Civil Guard. Elias helps him
to build a funeral on which his mother's corpse are to be burned.

Upon knowing the reported death of Ibarra on the Lake, Maria Clara begs her godfather, Fray
Damaso, to put her in a convent. The friar then breaks down and made a confession that all the
trouble he has put with the Ibarras is to stop her from marrying a native, in which Damaso's reason
is for her children not to be with the oppressed class. She finally enters the convent to be a nun of
St. Clara.