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Chapter_VIII

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Nierves Jamaica Dohinog
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Chapter_VIII

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Nierves Jamaica Dohinog
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CHAPTER VIII

NOLI ME TANGERE,
1887
The howling winter wind, sweeping the snowbound city,
jarred his windows and come hooting down the chimney. He
wrote on, and on, until the early hours of dawn. At long last,
he finished the novel on February 21, 1887. It was the Noli Me
Tangere, his first novel.
In a reunion of Filipinos in the house of the Paternos in
Madrid on January 2, 1884, Rizal proposed the writing of a
novel about the Philippines by a group of Filipinos. His
proposal was unanimously approved by those present, among
whom were the Paternos (Pedro, Maximino, and Antonio),
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Eduardo de Lete, Julio
Llorente, and Valentin Ventura.
Idea of Writing a Novel on Philippines. His reading of
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, which portrays
the brutalities of American slave-owners and the pathetic
conditions of the unfortunate Negro, slaves, inspired Dr. Rizal
to prepare a novel on the Philippines, He was then a student
in the Central University of Madrid.
The Writing of the Noli Toward the end of 1884.
Rizal began writing the novel in Madrid and finished about
one-half of it. When he went to Paris, in 1885, after,
completing his studies in the Universidad Central de
Madrid, he continued Writing the novel, finishing one-half
of the second half. He wrote the last fourth of the novel in
Germany.
During the dark days of December, 1886, while his spirit was at its lowest
ebb, he almost threw the manuscript into the fire.

Thus he wrote to his friend, Fernando Canon; I did not believe that the
Noli Me Tangere would ever be published when I was in Berlin, heart-
broken, weakened, and discouraged from hunger and deprivation.

In mid-December, a telegramn from Barcelona arrived. It was sent by Dr.


Maxino Viola, informing Rizal of his coming visit to Berlin.
The Man Who Saved the "Noli." Indeed, Viola was a Godsend.
Without him, the Noli would most likely never appear in print.
The meeting between Viola and Rizal in Berlin was a joyous
one.

When he went to Paris, in 1885, after, completing his studies in


the Universidad Central de Madrid, he continued writing the
novel, finishing one half of the second half. He wrote the last
fourth of the novel in Germany.
The first edition of the Noli was printed in Berlin in 1887. The
cost of printing was 300 pesos (advanced by Viola) for 2,000
copies.

This date MARCH 29, 1887, is a significant date for it was the
date when the Noli Me Tangere came off the press. A new
classic was thus born in Philippine literature, a book which
caused a great stir in its times and which still a stirring book at
the present time.
The Title of the Novel. The title Noli Me Tangere is a Latin
phrase which means "Touch Me Not." It is not originally
conceived by Rizal, for he admitted taking it from the Bible.

Rizal, writing to Felix R Hidalgo in French in March, 1887,


said: “Noli Me Tangere, words taken from the Gospel of Saint
Luke signif “do not touch me.’ In citing the Biblical source,
Rizal made a mistake. It should be the Gospel of St. John
(Chapter 20, Verses 13 to 17). According to St. John, on the
First Easter Sunday, St. Mary Magdalene visited the Holy
Sepulchre, and to her Our Lord Jesus, just arisen from the
dead, said:
The Author's Dedication. Rizal dedicated the Noli Me Tangere to the
Philippines "To My Country." His dedication runs as follows:

Recorded in the history of human sufferings is a cancer so malignant a


character that the least touch irritates it and awakens in it the sharpest
pains. Thus, how many times, when in the midst of modern civillzations
I have wished to call thee before me, now to accompany me in
memories, now to compare thee with other countries, hath thy dear
image presented itself showing a social cancer like to that other!
In his town, Ibarra met several interesting people, such as the wise old
man Tasio the Sage, whose ideas were too advanced for his times so that
the people, whp could not understand him, alled him“Tasio the Lunatic"

A most tragic story in the novel is the tale of Sisa, who was formerly a
rich girl but became poor because she married a gambler, and a wastrel.

During the dinner the conversation centered on 1barra's studies and


travels abroad. Padre Damaso was in bad mood because he got a bony
neck and hard wing of chicken tinola.
THE SONG OF MARIA CLARA

"Sweet are the hours in one's native land,


Where all is dear the sunbeams bless;
Life-giving breezes sweep the strand,
And death is soften'd by love's caress
"Warm kisses play on mnother's lips,
On her fond, tender breast awakening:
When round her neck the soft arm slips,
And bright eyes smile, all love partaking.
"Sweet is death for one's native land,
Where all is dear the sunbeams bless;
Sypnosis of the “Noli”. The novel Noli Me Tangere
containst 63 chapters and an epilogue. It begins with a
reception given by Capitán Tiago (Santiago de los
Santos) at his house in Calle Anloague (now Juan Luna
Street) on the last day of October. This reception or
dinner was given in honor of Crisostomo Ibarra, a
young and rich Filipino who had just returned after
seven years of study in Europe. Ibarra was the only son
of Don Rafael Ibarra, friend of Capitán Tiago, and a
financé of beautiful Maria Clara, supposed daughter of
Capitán Tiago.
The "Noli" Based on Truth. The Noli Me
Tangere, unlike many works of fictional
literature, is a true story of Philippine
conditions during the last decades of Spanish
rule. The places, the characters, and the
situations really existed.The facts I narrate
there”said Rizal,“are all true and have
happened; I can prove them."
The characters Ibarra, Maria Clara, Elias, Tasio, Capitán Tiago,
Padre Damaso, Padre Salvi, ete. were drawn by Rizal from persons
who actually existed during his times. Maria Clara was Leonor
Rivera, although in real life she became unfaithful, unlike the
heroine of the novel, and married an Englishman, Ibarra and Elias
represented Rizal himself, Tasio the Sage was his elder brother,
Paciano, Padre Salvi was identified by Rizalists as Padre Antonio
Piernavieja, the hated Augustinian friar in Cavite who was killed by
our patriots during the Revolution. Capitán Tiago was Capitán
Hilario Sunico of San Nicolas. Doña Victoria was Doña Agustina
Medel. The two brothers Basilio and Crispin were the Crisostomo
brothers of Hagonoy. Padre Damaso was typical of a domeenering
friar during the days of Rizal, who was arrogant, suppercilious, and
anti Filipino.
Rizal's Friends Praise the “Noli”. The friends of Rizal
hailed the novel, praising it in glowing colors. As to be
expected, Rizal's enemies condemned it. Rizal anticipated the
vitriolic attacks of his enemies, who were sore to be In Rizal's
own words: told the truth of their evil ways. "The
government and the friars will probably attack the work,
refuting my statements, but I trust in the God of Truth and in
the persons who have actually seen our sufferings."

Copies of the Noli were sent by Rizal to Blumentritt, Regidor,


Hidalgo, Mariano Ponce, Garciano Lopez Jaena, Aguirre and
other friends. More copies crated and send to Barcelona,
Madrid, and Hongkong to be smuggled into the Philippines.

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