A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

ON THE NOVEL
NOLI ME TANGERE

FINAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE SUBJECT

LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL
(RIZ-GEC)

SUBMITTED BY:
USON, HERSHEY E.
BSAIS-2A

SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. PRINCESS KWIN C. TOLENTINO, LPT
(SUBJECT INSTRUCTOR)
 Noli Me Tangere
By Dr. Jose Rizal

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) is a well-known novel in Philippine literature that has sparked interest
both in the old days and in the current time. This novel is written in Spanish, and he wrote it in two parts: the
first half was written in Madrid, Spain between 1884 and 1885, and the second half was written in Germany
while he was studying medicine in 1887. This novel was published in 1887. It has been widely recognized as a
great novel for more than a century since its first appearance because of how precisely it featured the state of
the Philippines during Spanish colonialism.

A novel written by Dr. Jose Rizal, aimed to invoke Filipinos to the fact of our beloved country when it
was under the power of the Spaniards. His strong love for the Philippines and its people drove him to write the
novel to expose the Spanish colonial abuse that was taking place throughout the country. Noli Me Tangere
encourages us to consider our actions and beliefs in relation to our country. The novel's theme is to promote
nationalism and to accept change in us, which is still relevant today.

Noli Me Tangere was about the Spanish colonization of the Philippines and how the Spanish mistreated
Filipinos. It told the story of Crisostomo Ibarra, a student from Europe who returned to the Philippines after a
seven-year journey. He is surrounded by good friends, a beautiful fiancée, and a supportive upper class, but he
is tormented by a priest who has a vendetta against Ibarra's late father. He also paid a visit to his long-lost love,
Maria Clara. At Kapitan Tiago's house, he got back in touch with old friends, including his foe, Padre Damaso.
He was taken aback when he discovered his father's death. Lieutenant Guevarra, his father's friend, told him the
details of his father's death. Padre Damaso had directed that Rafael Ibarra's body be transferred to the Chinese
Graveyard. Despite Padre Damaso's orders, the gravediggers dumped the body into the river. This infuriated
Crisostomo Ibarra, prompting him to launch a rebellion against Padre Damaso and the Spanish government.
Damaso constantly sabotages Ibarra's wedding and humiliates him. Padre Salvi, another religious figure,
becomes Ibarra's enemy. Salvi tries to kill him, lusts after his ex-fiancée, and organizes an uprising in which
Ibarra is involved. Ibarra is jailed, loses companions and reputation, and is nearly murdered because of two
religious figures' unwavering hatred. He is exhausted, frustrated, and vulnerable by the end of the novel. The
great future he imagined for his town has been smashed, and he is now surrounded by corruption and loss.

Some characters who firmly represent Filipinos include Doña Victorina, a socialite who refused to be
labeled as an Indio. During the time of the Spaniards, all Filipinos were referred to as Indios, which meant that
they were stupid, uneducated, and poor. There are characters in the novel who have symbolic meanings, such as
Sisa, a mother of Crispin, and Basilio who cared for her children and became an emotional wreck when her sons
went missing. Sisa represents the Inang Bayan, or Motherland, who became an outcast because of the Spaniards'
mistreatment of the Filipinos, whereas Maria Clara represents the Filipino women who were victimized and
mistreated by the Spaniards.

Noli Me Tangere encourages us to consider our behaviors and beliefs regarding our country. The novel's
theme of publicizing nationalism and accepting responsibility for ourselves remains relevant today. We must
patronize our country by enforcing the law, promoting Philippine culture, and realizing the true goal of the
country by working together to improve it. It instills in us the values of intellect, standing up for equality, and
love for our country. This novel is being taught in schools to prevent history from repeating itself by teaching
our youth to love our country and to empower them as change agents for our country. Being such a true Filipino
is what Jose Rizal desires for us to be; knowing who we are and what our true goals are will help the country
thrive.

Noli Me Tangere takes place during the Spanish regime, which was a century ago, it is fictional because
the main characters are made up, but the situation, sufferings, and experiences of these characters really aren't
baseless during the Spanish colonization. There were standards and conventions that helped identify the genre
of the book; one notable code that can be seen in the book is the metaphoric code, which is the clothing of the
people at the time; Rizal has featured an ambiance that depicts the old or traditional clothing of individuals
during the Spanish period.

The novel contains historical and nostalgic elements that had a significant impact on the country. It
opened our minds and eyes to our country's true villains. Its primary audience was Filipino citizens, but it also
sent a message to people in other countries. This book provided us with an opportunity to truly comprehend and
learn a great deal. The book not only showed how the Spaniards gradually took our rights and our stand as
Filipinos, but also how they gradually turned our fellow men to their side. Some of our leaders in the
Philippines were consumed by the glory, money, and power that blinded them.

Doña Victorina, for example, disowned her country and chose to be "one of them," according to the
book. It simply means that Filipinos were previously unaware and uninformed about how fortunate they were in
various aspects. However, in our day and age, the audience or readers may understand that some of the things
written in the book are simply about how corrupt and abusive Spaniards are. Some people, particularly those
who allied with and appreciated the book, will say that it made a significant contribution and influence in our
society, while historians and history buffs will say that Noli Me Tangere is a very important historical proof of
how Filipinos evolved and maintained some of their traditions and culture. When the book was first published,
it was considered scandalous because the content of the book alarmed the Spaniards.

Noli Mi Tangere is more than just a novel or a piece by Dr. Rizal. It was not created or written solely for
the benefit of Filipino citizens, but also to highlight the other country and its people. Rizal portrayed nationality
by asserting the positive qualities of Filipinos, such as a Filipino's dedication and influence on an individual's
heart, and a deep sense of gratitude. By reading or appreciating a book, Filipinos gain a better understanding of
what happened in the past. It made us realize that there were parallels between the past and the present. Because
of the corruption and abuse of the previous administration, people's opinions of the current system of
government have changed. The book also made us aware that, in the past, our enemies were not just the
Spaniards but also our fellow Filipino leaders who had abandoned our nation. The vilest and unseen sufferings
that most Filipinos endured under the Spanish regime are indirectly touched upon in the book.

The purpose of the novel "Noli Me Tangere" was to harness the power of the populace's desire for
freedom and change. Although the book is a fictional story, it contains the untold truth about the abuse and
corruption committed by the Catholic Church and the colonial government. A growing number of Filipinos who
opposed Spanish colonial dictatorship and aspired to achieve democratic rights expressed their growing national
consciousness in Rizal's novel. Additionally, it effectively illustrated how we Filipinos have long been
subjected to Spanish corruption, slavery, and abuse. It was a wake-up call for all Filipinos to escape their
delusion of a supposedly harmonious and peaceful relationship with the Spaniards, and it unintentionally ignited
the revolution. We gained power from Noli Me Tangere because it planted the seed of knowledge and sparked
our desire for independence and freedom.

Noli Me Tangere is a novel that served as a notice to Filipinos to fight the colonizers and is now a
signifier of our history. The story's characters and events are reminiscent of Filipino life, culture, and beliefs.
This novel will imprint the values that it teaches us in our hearts, allowing us to be good role models for our
country. This literary work will assist us in understanding the true meaning of nationalism and will act as a
catalyst for change.