Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Summary with a Reflection.

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo Summary with a Reflection.

Synopsis of Noli Me Tangere

The young and idealistic Juan Crisostomo Ibarra returns home after seven years in Europe. The wealthy meztizo, like his father Don Rafael endeavors for reform primarily in the area of education in order to eliminate poverty and improve the lives of his countrymen. Upon learning about his father’s demise and the denial of a Catholic burial for his father, Ibarra was provoked to hit Padre Damaso which eventually led to his excommunication. The excommunication was later rescinded upon the intervention of the Governor General.

Padre Salvi, Ibarra’s mortal enemy accused Ibarra of insurrection. Ibarra’s letter to his beloved Maria Clara was used against him. Later in the story, Maria Clara will tell Ibarra that she did not conspire to indict him. She was compelled to give Ibarra’s letter in exchange for the letters of her mother before she was born. Maria Clara found out that the letters of her mother were addressed to Padre Damaso about their unborn child which means that she is the biological daughter of the priest and not of her father, Capitan Tiago.

Meanwhile, Ibarra was able to escape the prison with Elias, who also experienced injustice with the authorities. Ibarra was able to speak with Maria Clara about the letters and thereafter forgave her. Ibarra and Elias flee to the lake and were chased by the Guardia Civil. One was shot and the other survives. Upon hearing the news, Maria Clara believed that Ibarra was dead; she entered the nunnery instead of marrying Alfonso Linares.

The fatally wounded Elias found the child Basilio and his dead mother Sisa. The latter was driven to insanity when she learned that her children were implicated for theft by the sacristan mayor. Elias instructed Basilio to dig for his and Sisa’s graves and there is a buried treasure which he can use for his education.

 

Synopsis of El Filibusterismo

The hero of El Filibusterismo is a rich jeweler named Simoun. He was Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli, who, with Elias’ help, escaped from the pursuing soldiers at Laguna de Bay, dug up his buried treasure, and fled to Cuba where he became rich and befriended many Spanish officials. After many years he returned to the Philippines, where he freely moved around. He is a powerful figure not only because he is a rich jeweler but also because he is a good friend and adviser of the governor general.

Outwardly, Simoun is a friend of Spain. However deep in his heart, he is secretly cherishing a terrible revenge against the Spanish authorities. His two magnificent obsessions are to rescue Maria Clara from the nunnery of Santa Clara and to foment a revolution against the hated Spanish masters.

The story of El Filibusterismo begins on board the clumsy, roundish shaped steamer Tabo, so appropriately named. This steamer is sailing upstream the Pasig from Manila to Laguna de Bay. Among the passengers are Simoun, the rich jeweller; Doña Victorina, the ridiculously pro-Spanish native woman who is going to Laguna in search of her henpecked husband, Tiburcio de Espadaña, who has deserted her; Paulita Gomez, her beautiful niece; Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibañez), a Spanish journalist who writes silly articles about the Filipinos; Padre Sibyla, vice-rector of the University of Santo Tomas; Padre Camorra, the parish priest of the town of Tiani; Don Custodio, a pro-spanish Filipino holding a position in the government; Padre Salvi, thin Franciscan friar and former cura of San Diego; Padre Irene, a kind friar who was a friend of the Filipino students; Padre Florentino, a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest; Isagani, a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of Paulita; and Basilio, son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose medical education is financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.

Simoun, a man of wealth and mystery, is a very close friend and confidante of the Spanish governor general. Because of his great influence in Malacañang, he was called the “Brown Cardinal” or the “Black Eminence”. By using his wealth and political influence, he encourages corruption in the government, promotes the oppression of the masses, and hastens the moral degradation of the country so that the people may become desperate and fight. He smuggles arms into the country with the help of a rich Chinese merchant, Quiroga, who wants very much to be Chinese consul of Manila. His first attempt to begin the armed uprising did not materialize because at the last hour he hears the sad news that Maria Clara died in the nunnery. In his agonizing moment of bereavement, he did not give the signal for the outbreak of hostilities.

After a long time of illness brought about by the bitter loss of Maria Clara, Simoun perfects his plan to overthrow the government. On the occasion of the wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he gives a wedding gift to them a beautiful lamp. Only he and his confidential associates, Basilio (Sisa’s son who joined his revolutionary cause), know that when the wick of his lamp burns lower the nitroglycerine, hidden in its secret compartment, will explode, destroying the house where the wedding feast is going to be held killing all the guests, including the governor general, the friars, and the government officials. Simultaneously, all the government buildings in Manila will be blown by Simoun’s followers.

As the wedding feast begins, the poet Isagani, who has been rejected by Paulita because of his liberal ideas, is standing outside the house, watching sorrowfully the merriment inside. Basilio, his friend, warns him to go away because the lightened lamp will soon explode.

Upon hearing the horrible secret of the lamp, Isagani realizes that his beloved Paulita was in grave danger. To save her life, he rushes into the house, seizes the lightened lamp, and hurls it into the river, where it explodes.

The revolutionary plot was thus discovered. Simoun was cornered by the soldiers, but he escaped. Mortally wounded, and carrying his treasure chest, he sought refuge in the home of Padre Florentino by the sea.

The Spanish authorities, however, learns of his presence in the house of Padre Florentino. Lieutenant Perez of the Guardia Civil informs the priest by letter that he would come at eight o’clock that night to arrest Simoun.

Simoun eluded arrest by taking poison. As he is dying, he confesses to Padre Florentino, revealing his true identity, his dastardly plan to use his wealth to avenge himself, and his sinister aim to destroy his friends and enemies.

The confession of the dying Simoun is long and painful. It is already night when Padre Florentino, wiping the sweat from his wrinkled brow, rises and begins to meditate. He consoles the dying man saying: “God will forgive you Señor Simoun. He knows that we are fallible. He has seen that you have suffered, and in ordaining that the chastisement for your faults should come as death from the very ones you have instigated to crime, we can see His infinite mercy. He has frustrated your plans one by one, the best conceived, first by the death of Maria Clara, then by a lack of preparation, then in some mysterious way. Let us bow to His will and render Him thanks!”

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear conscience and at peace with God, Padre Florentino falls upon his knees and prays for the dead jeweler. He takes the treasure chest and throws it into the sea; as the waves close over the sinking chest.

 

REFLECTION 

Jose Rizal is known to be one of the Philippines’ great heroes not only because of his intelligence but also his deep love for his country with his famous two great novels that has given great impacts to the country. Dating way back from 1887 when he first started to wrote Jose Rizal’s first ever novel, the Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not). It is a romantic novel that is a work from the heart. A book of feeling in which describes of freshness, color, humor, lightness and wit embodied it. The characters, specifically Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra have delineating a Filipino man and woman’s attitude and values. It also describes the way of living before, encountering and how they had able to adopt and overcome hardships that leads to their desires for each other against the bitterness and cruelty of the leaders before. It shows their determination and willingness to fight for their love and to our fatherland no matter what consequences may happen to them. It traced the delicate social and political problems of confronting the society.

While El Filibusterismo known by its English alternate title The Reign of Greed, is the second novel which is the sequel of Noli. El Filibusterismo, according to the historian, it is a politic novel, a work from the head. It is a book of thought which contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence and sorrow to the Spanish government, specifically the friars exploring its arrogance and despotism. It is more revolutionary and tragic. It contains all the abuses to his family and friends were valiantly and truthfully depicted on this book. Having hatred in his heart took Simoun into revenge. But, conscience had stopped his plan to destroy his friends and enemies through a time bomb. He was arrested. His confession was long and painful. But, he died peacefully with a clear conscience and at peace with God.

This two most famous and important novels of Jose Rizal has been rhetorically in which it becomes a rich source of insights apropos to the history, culture and beliefs from long time ago during Spanish colonization who had colonize the Philippines for more than 30 decades. This has always been the most important part in Filipino history like a last piece in a jigsaw puzzle that completes us where it brings honor in our forefathers land. It unleashed the rudeness, selfishness, and unfairness towards the Filipinos who’s supposed to be the ones who lives freely and be the ones who leads, should be in the position and not become slaves. Those destruction, chaos, racism and injustices caused by the Spaniards wherein the Filipinos suffered for long of their lives. Jose Rizal didn’t bother even if it puts his life at stake as long as he for his beloved country and countrymen, he will fight and reveal the truths. Two forces working for the freedom of the country with faith, patriotism, love and bravery.

 

Sources:

http://www.cebu-philippines.net/noli-me-

http://hubpages.com/education/Life-and-Works-of-Rizal-Synopsis-of-El-Filibusterismo