NOLI ME TANGERE, CONTEXT AND CONTENT Preciate the Noll fo ts narrative that takes the This chapter will explore the context of the publication of the ‘Nol The novel's major elements wil also be appraised from its main ‘characters and setings and its plot and major confcts wil be tackle. Lm SATNING OBsECTIVES ‘Athe end of this chapter the students should be abl to: describe the context ofthe publication of the Noli Me Téngere: and 7 discuss the major elements ofthe Noll Me Téngere as a novel Be navel — a long writen story most often about fictional events and. characters setting (ina novel) - the context in which the events take place: cove’S ‘geographical areas in particular periods of time Plot ~ the flow of the narative ina story y ne Publication of the Noi siriabebeatieln ee eer Oy Sr ans ren ao exemplary monet eu ceacy eid in one he soa Breen Not Ne Tinges eed works, ipated inthe The idea of publishing a book was not alien to Riel. Ina neeing of the iustrados in 1884, he proposed to write x book project to be done collaboratively with his fellow writer, Unfortunately, the project did not materialize. He eventually decided to write a novel on his own. He started work on the projet in 1884 and completed it in 1887. Many of his biographers cite several work tha influenced Rizal in the writing of the Noli. One of these is Juan Luna’s psicng, Sfoliarium, which depicted the sufferings faced by humanity in the face of inequalities. Another i Uncle Tom Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that dealt with: slavery. in America, Rizal finished the first half ofthe novel in Spain, supposedly the other haf in France, then completed the draft in 1886. The {forel was published the following year in Germany. Lack of | funds delayed the book’s publication until a fellow dstrado, Ao Vila insisted on lending im 300 pesos for i cute frst 2.000 copies. By 1887, Rizal was already sending ee ofthe Nol to his ends and the Book began ake i. ZzMotivations behind Writing the Noi “The eke, Kolt Me Tagore, bad Biblical reference yy Govpa John in which ess appeared £0 Mary Maalng st rere these words: “Touch me not fr Tam not yet ascenig to ay Father” The choice of tle according to Rizal was fg Fea inended write about themes that were taboo in Philipines for enturies things that people dared not touch 7 coring his biographers Rial ist planned to write iy onsidered tobe the language ofthe intllecnap Europea Tat time. He, however, shifted to Spanish becauy te intendetro reach out to his countrymen in the Philippine Risa explained: I most wake from its slumber the spirit of wy county. I must frst propose to my countrymen an examgl, with which they can struggle against their bad qualities, and afterwards, when they have reformed, many writers would rie ‘up to present my country to proud Europe” (qtd. in Schumacher, 1991,p. 93). ye ‘In the initial pages of the Noli, the dedication titled “A Mi Patra” clearly articulated Rizal’s purpose for writing the novel ~ To my Motherland In the annals of buman adversity, there is etched cancer, of 3 breed so malignant that the least contact ‘exacerbates it, and stirs im it the sharpest of pains. An tus, many times amidst modern cultures 1 have wanted to evoke you, sometimes for memories of yOu to keep me company, other times, to compare you with ‘other nations—many times your beloved image appears 40 me afflicted with «socal cancer of similar malignancy Desiring your well-being, which is our own and searching forthe bes care, | wilde, dh you as the ‘ata $2 Aid with their afflicted, expose them 0 ome the Degen 2 that each one who would come ‘would propose a cure for them. NOL! ME TANOERE. Comte ag, ‘And t0 this end, 1 will ates The project of writing the Noli, ax towards exposing th leo Ph Spain. Thu, through the passages Plot = The story of the Noli Me Timgee [e: 10 Ibarra after he returned to the studying in Europe. The novel opened with preparing a homecoming gathering for the young ‘Throughout the pages of the novel, the: navigating the complex reali of colonial ‘was shoven co be rekinding links with his Clara. Bat not everything was fine and his return, he leaned about the ills tha well as the abuses of the friars to which! 80" ill! had i mot for Eis boatman, «also previously cautioned Toarra about his Anger the friars, After the incident, Ibarra112. tae Lire ano woss OF Jost RIZAL cre, anther confrontation occured Between Tharra Here repo aended the lncheon united. In. fi ofa parasvaok s knife against Damaso’s neck and threatened, soa uhroat a5 he tld everyone ofthe abuses . aoa and the desecration he did to Iara’ father, Nagy Crane Ibaera and prevented him from killing the fgg Damaso, in an act of revenge, persuaded Capitan Tiago, the peter of Maria Clara to not allow bis daughter to marry Thar, ‘After some time, a revolt was blamed on Ibarra, which caused his incarceration. With the help of Elias, he escaped ang went to see Maria Clara who was soon marrying the man her father chose fr he. In a heartbreaking confrontation, Ibarra and ‘Maria Clara exchanged accusations and in the process, it was revealed that Damaso was the true father of Maria Clara, As turmoil and confusion engulfed the town, Maria Clara thought Ibarra had been killed. This caused her endless grief be asked t be confined to a nunnery lest she take her own life I was later revealed that Ibarra was not dead and that Elias was the one fatally shot. Inthe later passages, the dying Elias was waiting for Ibarra but instead, met and talked to the youn Basilio. He instructed the orphaned boy (his mother Sisa, who became insane looking for her young sons, had died) to find the treasure of Ihara buried in the cemetery and use it t0 get «education, He reminded Basilio to never lose hope and if one da freedom and progress would come to his country, to not fore ‘those who labored in the night. ‘Within this general contour of the narrative, Rizal wov® * complex story and subplots Reading through the novel, diffeset™ hates andthe coreponding tries unfolded # ‘ols ugh the voice ofan unsen narrator. Truly, the pages of Noli reflected eae Sere hoes f mop ving inh complied word ba ‘RE. CONTEXT ‘AND Cons The Setting dere these questions pertaining to the 4, Isthe novel set ina particular time period?