Rizal’s First Novel

Life in Berlin• Proved to be so hard for Rizal

• He was too impoverished then

and yet still found time to finish his

novel on February 21, 1887

February 21,1887- the first novel Noli

Me Tangere was finished

IDEA OF WRITING ON PHILIPPINES

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet

Beecher Stowes –

Portrays the brutalities of American

slave-owners and the pathetic

conditions of the unfortunate

Negro, Slaves.

Rizal wrote the novel in three countries

Madrid, Spain

France Germany

December 1886, Rizal was deprived, broken-

hearted, hungry, and worried about the novel.

Th

e en

d o

f 18

84 Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid and he finished one half of it

1885 He continued

writing the novel, finishing the one half of the second half.

GE

RM

AN

Y 1

886 While his spirit

was at its lowest ebb, he almost threw the manuscript into the fire

The novel was almost finished

• A scion of a rich family of San Miguel Bulacan

• Viola came to Berlin to invite Rizal to join him in a tour of Europe but was postponed for the publication of Noli

• Lent Rizal P300 for the publication of 2,000 copies of NoliMe Tangere

Mr. Maximo Viola

The First Edition of Noli

First edition of Noli Me Tangerewas printed in Berlin on March 29, 1887 by Berliner Buchdrukrei-Action Gesselschaft

The Title: Noli Me Tangere

It means “Touch Me

Not”

Taken from the

Gospel of St. John,

20:13-17

The Title: Noli Me Tangere

It was when Mary Magdalene visited the Holy Sepulcher

“Touch me not; I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascent unto my Father; and to my God and your God.”

1. Silhouette of a Filipina

2. A man in a cassock

with hairy feet

3. Helmet of the guardia

civil/constabulary

helmet

4. Whip/cord and Flogs

5. A length of chain

6. Bamboo stalks

7. Cross

8. Pomelo blossoms and

laurel leaves

9. Burning torch

10. Sunflowers

1

2 3

4 & 5

7 & 8

6

9

10

1. CROSS- sufferings

2. POMELO BLOSSOMS AND

LAUREL LEAVES- honor and

fidelity

3. SILHOUETTE OF A FILIPINA-

Maria Clara

4. BURNING TORCH- rage and

passion

5. SUNFLOWERS- enlightenment

6. BAMBOO STALKS – resilience

7. A MAN IN A CASSOCK WITH

HAIRY FEET- priests using

religion in a dirty way

8. CHAINS- slavery

9. WHIPS and FLOGS- cruelties

10.HELMET OF THE GUARDIA

CIVIL- arrogance of those in

authority

1

2 3

4 & 5

7 & 8

6

9

10

At the top, all that is best in Philippine life: woman, symbolizing constancy, religious faith symbolized

by the tombstone, with a laurel (courage) and the flower of the

pomelo, worn by bride and groom at a wedding and symbolizing purity.

‘A mis P(adres.) al escribir e(sta obra he estado) pensando continuamente e(n

vosotros que me) habeis infundido los (primeros pensamientos) y las primeras

ideas; a (vosotros os dedi)co estemanuscrito de me (joventud com

p)rueba de amor.

Berlin, (21 de Febrero de) 1887.

The words partly covered are inner dedication by Rizal to his parents, the complete text being probably:

To the left of the title, the flower mirasol, representing youth seeking the sun.

The author's name, meaning the green of renewal, mounting up into the green of the most enduring of all Philippine trees, the bamboo.

At the bottom, all that is worst in Philippine life: the helmet of the Civil Guard, the whip and instruments of torture, and the foot of a

friar.

The Theme

The Theme

The ‘Noli me Tangere’ is a similar theme of longing and unfulfilment.

• There is no more tragic love and of course no greater love than of two beings unable to reach each other, since such a love eternally remains unblemished.

• Rizal's book persistently unmasks the evils of Spaniards in the Philippines of every kind.

• He exposes corruption and brutality of the civil guards which drive good men to crime and banditry.

Rizal does not, however, spare his fellow countrymen.

The supers-titious and

hypocritical fanaticism

Ignorance, corruption,

and bru-tality of the

Filipino civil guards

Passion for gambling of

Filipinos

Servility of the wealthy Filipino to-

wards Spanish

authorities

Ridiculous efforts of

Filipinos to dissociate

themselves from their fellowmen

Group Activity• Group Activity

o Make an editorial cartoon/caricature, using your

white cartolina and art materials to show the

theme of the Noli Me Tangere

The Tale of Sisa.

SISA- became crazy because she lost her two boys.

• BASILIIO AND CRISPIN - only joys of her wretched life. These boys were sacristans(sextons) in the church, working for a small wage to support their poor mother.

• CRISPIN - the younger of the two brothers, was accused by the brutal sacristan mayor(chief tortured) in the convent and died.

The Characters• MARIA CLARA- was Leonor Rivera

• IBARRA and ELIAS- represented Rizal himself

• TASIO the SAGE- was his elder brother (Paciano).

• PADRE SALVI- identified by Rizalist as Padre Antonio Piernavieja.

• CAPITAN TIAGO- was Capitan Hilario Sunicoof San Nicholas.

• DONA VICTORINA- was Dona AgustinaMedel

Grand Tour in Europe• Before Rizal returned home, he

and Viola planned to tour Europe.

• They left Berlin on May 11, 1887 to

Dresden where they were

welcomed by Dr. Hans Meyer

Dresden LeitmeritzPrague, visited to tomb of Nico-las

Copernicus

Brno, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Ulm

Climbed the largest and tallest cathedral

in Germany

June 1887, crossed Switzerland

Basel, Berne, Lausanne, Leman

Lake, Geneva

News of Igorotsdisplayed in Spain

died

Venice, Florence, and Rome, Italy

ULM MINSTER

VIENNA OPERA HOUSE

TOMB OF NICOLAS

COPERNICUS

LEMAN LAKE

Florence Dome

Venice Canals

Rome

Coloseum, Rome

Grand Tour in Europe• After Italy, he took train back to

Marseilles, France. He boarded

the Djemmah and arrived in

Saigon where he boarded the

Haiphong to reach Manila

End