CHAPTER 8

NOLI ME TANGERE
PUBLISHED
IN BERLIN (1887)
The bleak winter of 1886 was memorable in
the life of Rizal for two reasons :

 First, it was a painful episode for he was

hungry, sick, ad despondent in a strange city
and,

 Second, it brought him great joy, after

enduring so much sufferings, because his first
novel Noli Me Tangere came off the press in
March, 1887.
January 2, 1884 :

 Rizal proposed the write a novel about the

Philippines by a group of filipino’s .

 Paternos (Pedro, Maxinimo, and Antonio)

Graciano Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo
de Lette, Julio Llorente, Melecio Figueroa, and
Valentin Ventura.

 Unfortunately, Rizal’s project did not materialize.

Those compatriots who were expected to
collaborate on the novel did not write anything
The Writing of the Noli :

 Toward of 1884, Rizal began writig the novel in

Madrid and finished about one-half of it.

 When he went to Paris, in 1885. He finished the last

fourth of the novel in Germany, wrote the last few
chapters of the Noli in Wilhemsfeld in April- June,
1886.

 1886 in Berlin during winter days of February. Rizal

thought that his novel are no longer published.
Viola Savior of the Noli :

 Dr. Maximo Viola who was coming to

Berlin and help to finance the printing
cost of the Noli.

 February 21, 1887, Noli was finally

finished and ready for printing.
 Rizal Suspected as Frenchy Spy:
 One morning chief of police in Berlin
visit Rizal boarding house to see his
passport. Unfortunately, Rizal could not
produce a passport.
 On March 21, 1887 . The Noli Me Tangere
came off the press.
 The Noli Based on Truth
Noli Me Tangere, unlike many works of
fictional literature, was a true story of
Philippines condition during the last decades
of Spanish.

 The characters – Ibarra, Maria Clara, Elias,

Tasio, Capitan Tiago, Padre Damaso, Padre
Salvi, etc.
 Maria Clara was Leonar Rivera
 Ibarra and Elias represented Rizal himself
 Tasio the Philosopher was his elder brother,
Paciano.
 Capitan Tiago was Capitan Hilario Sunico of
San Nicolas.
 Dona Victorina was Dona Agustina Medel
Basilio and Crispin were Crisistomo brothers
of Hagonoy .
 Missing Chapter of the Noli
In the original manuscript of Noli Me Tangere,
there was a chapter entitled “Elias and
Salome”
 Salome noticed here lover was sad and
pensive.
 Afterward, Elias arose, preparing to leave.
 Rizal’s Friends Praise the Noli
 The friends of Rizal nailed the novel, praising
it in glowing colors.
 As to be expected the vitviolic attack of his
enemies.
 Rizal received numerous congrtulatory letters
from his friends about the Noli.
 In London, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, Filipino
patriot and lawyer who had been exiled due
to his complicity in the Cavite Mutiny of 1872.
 On May 3, 1887, he felicitated Rizal,
saying “If the Quixote immortalizes its
author because it exposes to the world
the ailments of Spain your Noli Me
Tangere will bring you an equal glory.