NOLI ME TANGERE
Noli Me Tangere - (Touch Me Not)
Dedicated to: My Fatherland
Place of Publication: Berlin, Germany
Symbols found in the cover of Noli Me Tangere and
its meaning:
Cross: Sufferings
Pomelo Blossoms and Laurel Leaves: Honor and
Fidelity
Silhouette of a Filipina: Maria Clara
Burning Torch: Rage and Passion
Sunflowers: Enlightenment especially the youth
Bamboo stalks that were cut down but grew back: Resilience
A man in a cassock with hairy feet: Priests using religion in a dirty way
Chains: Slavery
Whip: Cruelty
Helmet of Guardia Civil: Arrogance of those in authority
Major characters:
Juan Crisstomo Ibarra y Magsalin - commonly referred to the novel as
Ibarra or Crisstomo, is the protagonist in the story. Son of a Filipino
businessman, Don Rafael Ibarra, he studied in Europe for seven years.
Mara Clara de los Santos y Alba - commonly referred to as Mara Clara, is
Ibarra's fiance. She was raised by Capitn Tiago, San Diego's cabeza de
barangay and is the most beautiful and widely celebrated girl in San Diego.
Don Santiago de los Santos - known by his nickname Tiago and political
title Capitn Tiago is a Filipino businessman and the cabeza de barangay or
head of barangay of the town of San Diego. He is also the known father of
Mara Clara.
Doa Victorina de los Reyes de Espadaa - commonly known as Doa
Victorina, is an ambitious Filipina who classifies herself as a Spanish and
mimics Spanish ladies by putting on heavy make-up. The novel narrates Doa
Victorina's younger days: she had lots of admirers, but she did not choose
any of them because nobody was a Spaniard. Later on, she met and married
Don Tiburcio de Espadaa, an official of the customs bureau who is about ten
years her junior.
Dmaso Verdolagas - or Padre Dmaso is a Franciscan friar and the former
parish curate of San Diego. He is best known as a notorious character who
speaks with harsh words and has been a cruel priest during his stay in the
town. He is the real father of Mara Clara and an enemy of Crisstomo's
father, Rafael Ibarra.
Pilosopo Tasyo - is another major character in the story. Seeking for reforms
from the government, he expresses his ideals in paper written in a
cryptographic alphabet similar from hieroglyphs and Coptic figures hoping
"that the future generations may be able to decipher it" and realized the
abuse and oppression done by the conquerors.
Sisa - is the deranged mother of Basilio and Crispn. Described as beautiful
and young, although she loves her children very much, she can not protect
them from the beatings of her husband, Pedro.
Crispn - is Sisa's 7-year-old son. An altar boy, he was unjustly accused of
stealing money from the church. After failing to force Crispn to return the
money he allegedly stole, Father Salv and the head sacristan killed him. It is
not directly stated that he was killed, but the dream of Basilio suggests that
Crispn died during his encounter with Padre Salvi and his minion.
Basilio - is Sisa's 10-year-old son. An acolyte tasked to ring the church bells
for the Angelus, he faced the dread of losing his younger brother and the
descent of his mother into insanity. At the end of the novel, Elas wished
Basilio to bury him by burning in exchange of chest of gold located on his
death ground.
Summary:
Having completed his studies in Europe, young Juan Crisstomo Ibarra y Magsalin
comes back to the Philippines after a 7-year absence. In his honor, Don Santiago de
los Santos "Captain Tiago," a family friend, threw a get-together party, which was
attended by friars and other prominent figures. One of the guests, former San Diego
curate Fray Dmaso Vardolagas belittled and slandered Ibarra. Ibarra brushed off
the insults and took no offense; he instead politely excused himself and left the
party because of an allegedly important task.
The next day, Ibarra visits Mara Clara, his betrothed, the beautiful daughter of
Captain Tiago and affluent resident of Binondo. Their long-standing love was clearly
manifested in this meeting, and Mara Clara cannot help but reread the letters her
sweetheart had written her before he went to Europe. Before Ibarra left for San
Diego, Lieutenant Guevara, a Civil Guard, reveals to him the incidents preceding the
death of his father, Don Rafael Ibarra, a rich hacendero of the town.
According to Guevara, Don Rafael was unjustly accused of being a heretic, in
addition to being a subversive an allegation brought forth by Dmaso because of
Don Rafael's non-participation in the Sacraments, such as Confession and Mass.
Dmaso's animosity against Ibarra's father is aggravated by another incident when
Don Rafael helped out on a fight between a tax collector and a child fighting, and
the former's death was blamed on him, although it was not deliberate. Suddenly, all
of those who thought ill of him surfaced with additional complaints. He was
imprisoned, and just when the matter was almost settled, he died of sickness in jail.
Still not content with what he had done, Dmaso arranged for Don Rafael's corpse
to be dug up from the Catholic Church and brought to a Chinese cemetery, because
he thought it inappropriate to allow a heretic a Catholic burial ground.
Unfortunately, it was raining and because of the bothersome weight of the body,
the undertakers decide to throw the corpse into a nearby lake.
Revenge was not in Ibarra's plans, instead he carried through his father's plan of
putting up a school, since he believed that education would pave the way to his
country's progress (all over the novel the author refers to both Spain and the
Philippines as two different countries as part of a same nation or family, with Spain
seen as the mother and the Philippines as the daughter).
In the epilogue, it was explained that Tiago became addicted to opium and was
seen to frequent the opium house in Binondo to satiate his addiction. Mara Clara
became a nun where Salv, who has lusted after her from the beginning of the
novel, regularly used her to fulfill his lust. One stormy evening, a beautiful crazy
woman was seen at the top of the convent crying and cursing the heavens for the
fate it has handed her. While the woman was never identified, it is insinuated that
the said woman was Mara Clara.
