RIZAL’S IMMORTAL NOVELS -a painting depicting in the center the slaves dragging the

Rizal’s Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are vanquished gladiators to the gloomy dungeon located at
two historical novels which form a part of the intellectual the Roman Colosseum called Spoliarium. These
heritage of the Filipinos. They are literary works which gladiators would be despoiled of their armor and
give a cross-section of the Philippine society during weapons, and together with the dead wild beasts, tigers
Rizal’s time. They describe the political, economic, and lions, would be burned. The painting also shows at
educational, religious and cultural life with great realism. the right, a group of figures which symbolize the pathetic
In laying bare the conditions of his time, Rizal and suffering human race represented by a woman sitting
dramatically presented characters in order to show the on the pavement crying because she saw the body of a
situations then obtaining. Through his powerful beloved one, an old man with a torch searching for
description of the main characters, the reader gets someone, and by two other women weeping in the dark
acquainted with the social forces which oppose each shadows. At the left of the painting is the group
other thus presenting the realization of Rizal’s aspirations representing the human vultures—the prostitutes,
for the Filipinos to regain their lost human rights, mercenaries, money lenders eager to despoil the dead
especially human dignity, justice and freedom. gladiators of whatever valuables they could get from
As the characters appear in each novel and as them.
they interact, the wills and desires, and the struggle of -it conveyed the plight of the vanquished and the pathetic
beliefs and attitudes are presented. The reader cannot suffering of the human race; a reflection of the spirit of the
help but approve or reject the feeling, acting and thinking social, moral and political life of the time because it
of the characters in terms of his own sense of values. In clearly showed mankind under severe ordeal, mankind
thus sharing the thoughts, emotions and behavior of the unredeemed and reason and aspiration in an open
characters—which in many cases are the thoughts, struggle with fanaticism and injustice.
emotions and behavior of Rizal—one shares the author’s 2. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin
varied principles and actions. Such is the main reason -this novel portrayed the brutalities committed by the
why we need to understand the intellectual legacies in the American slave-owners against their Negro slaves.
novels. 3. Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew
-anti-clerical(religious) novel that aroused Rizal’s feeling
NOLI ME TANGERE: A Diagnosis of Filipino Society against the existing Philippine situation and at the same
time, communicate to the Filipinos the ideals he wanted
♥A Proposal on writing a novel about the Philippines them to embrace
In a reunion of Filipinos at the house of his
friend Pedro A. Paterno in Madrid on 2 January 1884, ♥Why did Rizal write the novel and call it Noli me
Rizal proposed the writing of a novel about the Tangere?
Philippines written by a group of Filipinos Noli me Tangere (Latin for Touch me not) are the
(Circulo-Hispano). His proposal was unanimously words of Jesus Christ to Mary Magdalene when she
approved by the Filipinos present at the party, among visited the tomb of Christ early on the morning of Easter
whom were Pedro, Maximino Viola and Antonio Sunday.
Paterno, Graciano López Jaena,Evaristo ‘Noli me Tangere (do not touch me), for I have
Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Julio Llorente and Valentin not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren and
Ventura. However, this project did not materialize. The say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to
people who agreed to help Rizal with the novel did not my God and your God…’(John 20:17)
write anything. Initially, the novel was planned to cover Christ must not be touched for He is holy and
and describe all phases of Filipino life, but almost Mary Magdalene was a sinner.
everybody wanted to write about women. Rizal even saw Rizal used the words Noli me Tangere because
his companions spend more time gambling and flirting the book contains things nobody in the Philippines had
with Spanish women. Because of this, he pulled out of dared speak about because they were delicate matters
the plan of co-writing with others and decided to draft the and could not be touched by anyone.
novel alone.
♥The writing of the Noli
♥Ideas on writing a novel about the Philippines ½-Madrid, Spain (1884) ¼-Paris, France ¼-Berlin,
1. Juan Luna’s Spoliarium Germany (1886)
March 21, 1887-Noli came off the press with the financial ♥Defenders vs. attackers
assistance of Maximo Viola DEFENDERS ATTACKERS
PURPOSES: Fr. Francisco Sanchez Sen. Fernando
1. to picture the past and the realities in the Philippines -told Rizal that the Vida,Deputy Luis de
2. to reply to insults heaped on the Filipinos and their pamphlet written by Fr. Pando, PM Praxedes
country Rodriguez was written Mateo Sagasta
3. to unmask the hypocrisy that have impoverished and with the feet -unjustly lambasted and
brutalized the Filipino people criticized Rizal and his
4. to stir the patriotism of the Filipino people Noli in the 2 chambers of
the Spanish Cortes
♥Noli as the Charter of Filipino Nationalism (1888,1889).They
The novel calls on the Filipino to: regain his condemned the novel as
self-confidence; appreciate his self-worth; return to the anti-Catholic, Protestant
heritage of his ancestors; assert himself as co-equal with and Socialist in orientation
the Spaniards. It insists on the need for education, and leaning
dedication to the country; assimilating the aspects of Fr. Vicente Garcia(aka Vicente Barrantes
Western cultures that could enhance native traditions. Desiderio Magalang) -attacked Rizal in La
It outlines the reforms of the following: radical -he said the book was a Espana Moderna, by
reforms in the armed forces, clergy and administration of work of literature and describing him as a man
justice; more respect for human dignity; greater security should be judged that way of contradiction whose
for the individual; less strength in the constabulary; and and not on a doctrinal criticisms of the friars and
less privileges for organizations prone to abuses and level. “If reading the Noli the Spanish regime were
corruption. is a mortal sin, then actually an insult of the
Fr.Rodriguez had also Filipinos themselves
committed a mortal sin.”
Marcelo H.del Pilar Fr. Salvador Font
-wrote a pamphlet entitled -tried to prevent the
Caiigat Cayo(be slippery circulation of the novel by
as an eel) in response to publishing a few copies of
Rodriguez his reports
-Rizal’s response was a
satirical essay entitled Por
Telefono
Ferdinand Blumentritt Fr. Jose Rodriguez
-Rizal’s novel was -issued a series of
patriotic. It was truthful pamphlets under the title
and heartfelt effort to Cuestiones de Sumo
make Spain realize the Interes (Katanungan na
need to remedy the social may Dakilang Interes); he
ills plaguing Filipino said that the novel should
society then. not be read by devout
Christians as the book is
full of heresies,
blasphemies and the
grossest errors
-Rizal’s response was a
satirical pamphlet entitled,
La Vision del Fray
Rodriguez