Noli Metangere

The Spanish novel Noli Me Tangere was published by 1887 by Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda, who is recognized as a National Hero for the novel’s contribution in waking up the nationalism and awareness of the Filipino people. The novel revolves around a Filipino young man Crisostomo Ibarra who just came back from Europe after studying for seven years. He was filled with ambitions and determinations to better the life of his countrymen. He believed that educating the youth is one of the major key to achieve this. Because of this, he was confronted by the abusive clergy and Spanish civil administration.

Nearing at the end of the novel, he was captured for the crime that he did not commit, just like what happened to his father Don Rafael. A man named Elias, who also suffered injustice in the hands of the authorities, helped him escape but failed to do so as they were reached by the civil guard. Elias pretended as Ibarra to confuse the guards. In the end, Ibarra escaped and assumed as dead and Maria Clara, his lover, ended up in the nunnery to refuse her marriage arrangement to Linares.

Upon reading and studying the novel and the life of Rizal, I can say that author was able to express significantly the situation of Filipino people during the Spanish period with the characters that he used in the novel. The abuse of Spanish administration and Catholic clergy to its power; the lack of rights and opportunity of education to women, youth, and poor; our negative trait of desiring to be recognized by the foreign and renunciation of our nationalistic identity; and the enlightenment of Filipino awareness and nationalism are some of the key points that Jose Rizal successfully expressed and pointed out in the novel.

Even just from the cover of his novel, Jose Rizal immediately showed his creativity and literary prowess. The novel aims to represents the cancer of the society in which with its distractive trait, the sufferer could not bear to be touched, hence the novel was entitled as “Noli Me Tangere” based from the proverbs of San Juan 20:13-17 which means “touch me not”. The symbols that he used hinted the readers on the flow and the issue that will be tackled in the novel. The cross and friar’s foot which symbolizes the religion and clergy’s abusive used of power, the woman’s shadow as the nation, torch and sunflower as the light that will enlighten and wake the Filipino people, bamboo as the resiliency of the Filipino, and helmet which represents the arrogance of those in power.

The lack of educational institutions and the educational rights for young people, the poor and women are highlighted with the character of Crisostomo Ibarra who sought to improve the living conditions of his countrymen by establishing an educational institution. The author firmly believes that education is the key for enlightenment and national development and he uses Ibarra’s character to deliver this message. The criticism and insults that the priest Padre Damaso have to Ibarra represents the differences to beliefs, perspective, and desire of each generation. Padre Damaso has a superior belief that his position elevates him from other that is why he uses his position as an excuse to be respected and obeyed, as well as to, oppress, insult, and abuse those inferior to him.

He is greedy for power that is why he keeps on trying to stop Ibarra for his attempt to educate the Filipinos because he knows once he did; he can no longer control them with his religious lies and claims. It also represents the abuse of Clerical power in controlling the Filipinos during the Spanish occupation, claiming salvation from sins by attending mass and donating to the church are just some of the lies that the church has made to exploit the Filipinos. Hence, the purpose of author in emphasizing this in the story is to open the eyes of the Filipino people on the ways that the Filipinos were taken advantage of. The author also maintained the realism of his novel. The main character has not been able to successfully solve the problems mentioned in the novel. Similar to reality, it remained as an undefeatable foe that continues to bring misfortune to the lives of the Filipinos.

The death of Don Rafael, Ibarra’s father symbolizes the harsh truth that we have in our system during the colonization until the present. His father was accused of the crime that he didn’t commit and it ultimately led to his death. His experiences resemble the injustices in our system. Power and influence can easily disregard the truth; justice can easily be manipulated if you have connections and money. It served as a fuel that ignites Ibarra’s emotions towards the injustices in the system.

Elias’ character reminds us of Andres Bonifacio, both have received injustices and abuse form the hands of the Spanish colonizers and ended up in resorting to violence in achieving the peace. However, the sacrifice of Elias in acting as a bait to let Ibarra escape from the civil guards that are chasing them is one of a saddest truth in any battle. It only proves someone or something needs to act as an instrument for peace. Similar to what happened to the author, he risked his life in danger just to write the novel so he can raise awareness and enlightenments with his countrymen.

The author was also able to show the diversity of Filipino women with his female characters. The tragic experience of Sisa and Maria Clara represents the cruel situation of Filipino women. Sisa is a mother who lost her sanity because of the death of her children. She symbolizes our motherland that was colonized by foreign occupants; her most treasured children were robbed of life, similar to what happened to our natural resources. The author described Maria Clara’s characteristic as the standard of Filipino women during that time which is beautiful, modest, loyal, and loving woman. We can see with this that Jose Rizal has a high standard and respect for women. Although from reality, Jose Rizal loved nine women in his life, Crisostomo Ibarra only loves Maria Clara in the novel.

Their tragic love story reminds us of Romeo and Juliet, yet it was based on the experience of Rizal to his lover Leonor Rivera. Similar to what happened in the novel, Leonor ended up to be engaged with someone else instead of him as her parents do not approve of him. Hence, the arranged marriage of Filipino women during the Spanish period aims to deliver the message that women do not have enough rights to decide for themselves. They were discriminated and belittled by others as during that time, the existence of women is only to be a mother or a wife and also the reason why they do not have enough rights and education.

I am also amazed on how Jose Rizal was able to point out our negative trait of wanting and desiring to be acceptable by a superior group of people, or foreigners, with the character of Donya Victorina de los Reyes de Espadana. She represents the Filipinos who are thirsty of foreign recognition, those Filipinos who forsake their own nationalistic identities. And this is not really surprising because this is the result of colonial mentality from the successive occupations of foreign colonizers. They robbed us our land and our identity, forced us with cultures and beliefs that aren’t ours, to the point that we do not know ourselves anymore.

To escape from the continuous exploitation and abuse, Filipinos tried to meet their standard, just like what Donya Victorina did, just so that she will not be called ignorant and inferior like her fellow contemporaries. However, her desire to be recognized led her to renounce her true identity and become just like her abusers. Rizal was able to reveal the harsh impact of colonialism; it is similar to a poisonous fruit that will raise disputes among Filipinos.

To sum up everything that has been stated so far, the novel sure contains a lot of symbolism and real-life events that triggers the start of Philippine revolution during the Spanish colonization. Every character in the novel depicts the different roles of the society. The novel was successful in actively demonstrating Rizal's intentions to tell the Filipinos to reflect with their actions and beliefs in our country. The main character in the novel portrays the importance of knowledge and learning in achieving the national peace, and violence is not always the answer for everything.

There is a right time when you have to fight, and you need to be prepared before rushing into a battle as failure to do so, will only lead to unprepared battle. The novel is a reminder of our history; an endless advisory for the Filipinos to fight against its oppressors. Reading the novel will surely move the hearts and change the perspectives of its readers. It delivers the true meaning of nationalism as it just not resorting to violence to achieve peace, but also considering the benefits of the society at large.