Noli Me Tangere Chapters 1-64

• These are study notes for Noli Me Tangere, chapters 1-64

Kabanata 1: Ang Pagtitipon (Chapter 1: The Gathering)

• A lavish reception was held at Don Santiago Delos Santos's house, also known as Kapitan Tiyago, to welcome a young man home from Europe.
• The honored young man is a close friend's son.
• Kapitan Tiyago's house on Anluwage Street was filled with guests and it was considered a great honor to be his guest.
• He is known for helping the poor and is a member of high society.
• Kapitan's cousin, Tiya Isabel, greeted the guests and the men/women were deliberately separated.
• Other late arrivals included the couple Dr. de Espadaña and Donya Victorina.
• Guests included church representatives led by Padre Sibyla, the parish priest of Binundok, Padre Damaso, and two civilians, and Lieutenant Guevarra, the lieutenant of the civil guard.
• Each group of guests had their own topics of conversation & some topics were the Indios, the removal of Padre Damaso from his parish in San Diego and the tobacco monopoly.
• Padre Damaso openly mocked the Indios, calling them a low class of creature.
• Padre Sibyla changed the conversation to Padre Damaso's removal as parish priest after twenty years.

Kabanata 2: Si Crisostomo Ibarra (Chapter 2: Crisostomo Ibarra)

• Kapitan Tiyago arrived with a young man dressed in mourning clothes, greeted the guests and kissed the hands of the priests.
• The priests, especially Padre Damaso, recognized the young man.
• Kapitan introduced him as Don Rafael Ibarra's son, who had just arrived after studying in Europe for seven years.
• Ibarra introduced himself as Juan Crisostomo Ibarra y Magsalin, shaking hands as he had learned in Germany.
• Padre Damaso refused to shake Ibarra's hand and turned his back on him though the Lieutenant thanked Ibarra for his safe return.
• The Lieutenant praised Ibarra's father, which reassured the young man.
• Padre Damaso secretly glared at the Lieutenant, who ended his conversation with Ibarra.
• Kapitan Tinong invited Ibarra to lunch the next day, but Ibarra declined because he was going to San Diego, and Kapitan Tinong was a close friend of Kapitan Tiyago and Ibarra's father.

Kabanata 3: Ang Hapunan (Chapter 3: The Supper)

• At the dinner table, the guests acted as if they were in a comedy.
• Padre Sibyla enjoyed himself, unlike Padre Damaso, who lashed out at anyone, even a cadet.
• The Lieutenant ignored this and instead studied Donya Victorina's curly hair. He accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt, which annoyed her.
• The other guests had their own conversations and praised Kapitan's delicious cooking.
• As the dinner was to welcome back Ibarra, it was appropriate for him to sit at the head of the table.
• The 2 priests argued about who should sit at the other end then Padre Damaso said that Padre Sibyla should sit because he was the priest of that area.
• Padre Sibyla disagreed, stating that Padre Damaso was Kapitan Tiyago's family's confessor.
• Padre Sybila offered the seat to the Lieutenant, who refused. Ibarra also refused when Kapitan Tiyago invited him.
• When the food was served, the worst parts of the chicken were unintentionally given to Padre Damaso.
• This angered him, as he only received necks and wings in his tinola, and Ibarra's special tinola was kept separate.
• During the meal, Ibarra shared his life story, including studying in Europe for seven years, visiting different countries, studying history, not forgetting his country despite its development, and being unaware of what had happened to his father.
• Due to it all, the Lieutenant guessed that the young man knew nothing about what happened to his father.
• Ibarra said that the lifestyle, politics, and religion there were the same and It was due to their freedom and ability to govern their own country.
• Padre Damaso criticized and insulted the young man, stating that even a child could learn that and that Ibarra's trip to Europe was a waste of money.
• Ibarra politely accepted what the priest said, mentioning his memories of Padre Damaso often joining them for meals and being a close friend of his father.
• The priest was speechless due to what Ibarra had told him.
• After the gathering, Ibarra left early and did not see Maria Clara, Kapitan Tiyago's daughter. Padre Damaso continued to insult Ibarra.
• The young man's observations that night were written in the "Estudios Coloniales" newspaper.

Kabanata 4: Erehe at Pilibustero (Chapter 4: Heretic and Subversive)

• Ibarra walked around the plaza of Binondo and noticed that his town had not changed despite his long absence as it seems like there was no progress.
• Ibarra still wondered what had happened to his father. The Lieutenant followed him to talk about his father.
• Don Rafael was one of the richest people in San Diego and kind and many loved him.
• Despite being kind, many were jealous of him, including the parish priests led by Padre Damaso, so Don Rafael decided not to confess which angered the priests even more.
• A Spaniard with no knowledge, a vagrant, and everyone's joke was appointed by Don Rafael as a collector.
• One day, the collector lost control with the children laughing at him and acted to hurt them.
• The kids ran quickly, but he threw his baton and ended up hitting a child.
• The child fell and was kicked by the artilleryman, and Don Rafael saw this and stopped him.
• According to rumors, Don Rafael hit the Spaniard until his head hit a big rock.
• Don Rafael helped the young man while the Spaniard vomited blood until he died.
• Because of that, the civil guards conducted an investigation and imprisoned Don Rafael where all his secret enemies came out.
• Don Rafael was accused of being a heretic and subversive, seizing land and other illegal ways of enrichment, reading El Correo de Ultramar and other prohibited readings, allegedly hiding letters and pictures from an executed priest, befriending and harboring bandits, and wearing a Barong Tagalog.
• The Don's former friends disappeared and turned away. Despite the townspeople's belief that Lieutenant Guevarra was insane, he was Don Rafael's only companion.
• According to the Don's request, the Lieutenant also found a Spanish lawyer for him while despite the lawyer's skill, the case lasted and became complicated due to the emergence of Don's enemies.
• Even more sadly, the trial was not yet over, and Don Rafael was already imprisoned and suffering in jail.
• Due to those events, Don became very stressed and got sick.
• Don Rafael eventually died in prison. No family or friends mourned the late Don.

Kabanata 5: Isang Tala sa Gabing Madilim (Chapter 5: A Star in the Dark Night)

• Ibarra went to Manila and stayed at the Fonda de Lala. In his room, he pondered his father's fate.
• He was drawn to the window, and the young man could clearly see Kapitan Tiyago's illuminated house across the river. I could hear the joy inside the house, the music of orchestras, and the jingle of plates.
• A celebration was taking place at the Kapitan's house that night. Kapitan Tiyago's only daughter, Maria Clara, arrived.
• The young woman was greeted by her friends, childhood friends, Spaniards and priests close to her father, Filipinos, Chinese, and military.
• Maria Clara wore a luxurious dress decorated with diamond and gold jewelry, and everyone's attention was focused on the young woman's beauty.
• Donya Victorina patiently arranged Maria Clara's hair.
• Padre Salvi liked beautiful women, so he was happy to meet the young women there. He also secretly liked Maria Clara.
• Ibarra fell asleep easily that night. In contrast, Padre Salvi could not get the beautiful young woman out of his mind.

Kabanata 6: Si Kapitan Tiyago (Chapter 6: Kapitan Tiyago)

• Kapitan Tiyago was the only son of a sugar merchant in the town of Malabon. He was thirty-five years old and was taught by a Dominican priest.
• When his father died, he continued to trade. He met Pia Alba from Sta. Cruz and they married. The couple was included in the upper class due to being rich and managing the business well.
• Kapitan Tiyago was a handsome man with brown skin, short, and a round face, marred by smoking and chewing betel nut.
• He served as gobernadorcillo and part of his service being to despise the Filipinos and let the Spaniards do this.
• The captain regarded himself as Spanish while Filipinos were Indios, as well as believed that the Spaniards are honorable and deserving of respect and appreciation.
• The Captain is friends with all those in power, especially the priests, which his name is always in mass and padasal to buy heaven.
• He bought all the saints that he liked and filled Kapitan Tiyago's room with prayers like Sta, Lucia, San Pascual Bailon, San Antonio De Padua, San Francisco De Asis, San Antonio Abad, San Miguel, Sto. Domingo, Hesukristo, and the image of the Holy Family (Jesus, Maria and Hosep).
• Kapitan acquired the land in San Diego, which became a way for him to meet parish priest Padre Damaso and the richest man in that town, Don Rafael Ibarra.
• Kapitan Tiyago and Pia Alba were together for six years, and despite the good life they enjoyed, they did not have children. The couple constantly vowed and on Padre Damaso's advice, the two vowed in Obando and danced at the feast of San Pascual Bailon and Sta. Clara in Nuestra Senora De Salambao to Pia Alba.
• Pia Alba became pregnant a short time later. It was said that Padre Damaso raped his wife and the truth will also be revealed later on.
• Pia Alba became sick, which eventually led to her death after giving birth.
• Maria Clara was the name given to the child who is cared for by Tiya Isabel. He is also full of love from Kapitan Tiyago and the priests.
• Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra grew up as childhood friends, and prompted by the priests, her father enrolled Maria Clara in the convent of Sta. Catalina when she was fourteen years old while Ibarra went to Europe to study medicine.
• Kapitan Tiyago and Don Rafael agreed to marry Maria Clara and Ibarra at a set time, which the two did not refuse because they loved each other.

Kabanata 7: Suyuan sa Asotea (Chapter 7: Courtship in the Balcony)

• Maria Clara and Tiya Isabel went to church early that day, and after breakfast they did their own thing.
• Tiya Isabel cleaned the house due to the mess from last night's dinner, while Kapitan Tiyago opened the papers about the livelihood while Maria Clara sewed while talking to her father to entertain herself because today was the day they were scheduled to meet Ibarra.
• They decided to vacation in San Diego because the festival was approaching. Soon Ibarra arrived and it is undeniable that the woman was agitated.
• Before Maria Clara entered the room and she would adjust herself.
• They both met on the same balcony where they talked and remember the start of there relationship
• They talk about old gifts and times where they were going to be fighting or bickering.
• Both of them also hid the things they gave to each other. This includes the sambong leaf that Maria Clara placed on Ibarra's hat so that it would not be heated, and Ibarra's letter to Maria Clara before he left for Europe.
• The young woman also read the contents of the letter to her sweetheart. According to the letter, Don Rafael's goal was to educate Ibarra in a remote place so that he could serve his homeland with high quality. He was ready to endure being separated from his son so that in the end he could give his country what he wanted.
• Ibarra was stunned because he remembered that tomorrow was Undas, and he had many things to do. Ibarra said goodbye and the Captain instructed his trustee that they would go on vacation there.
• Maria Clara could not help but shed tears because of her longing for Ibarra. Her father told her to light two candles for Ibarra and dedicate them to the saint of travelers.

Kabanata 8: Mga Alaala (Chapter 8: Memories)

• The day was beautiful at that time. Ibarra made its way through the length of Manila aboard the carriage and the view around was reminiscent of its memories.
• Everything is still the same as what he saw before. Wagons and carriages are constantly traveling, the union of people is busy with trade and various activities: there are Europeans, Chinese, Filipinos; there are male porters, others are women selling fruits. The shops and animals involved in livelihood are also there.
• The talisay tree in San Gabriel has not changed, while Escolta has become even uglier instead of developing.
• The carriage hurriedly delivered the employees to the office and the priests, including Padre Damaso. He was seen by Kapitan Tinong so he greeted him.
• Ibarra went to the street of Arroceros and remembered that he once felt dizzy from the very bad smell of tobacco there. He also compared the gardens in Europe when he passed by the Botanical Garden.
• The whole of Manila for him didn't progress only the buildings they were getting slimy.
• Because of this, Ibarra thought of what his priest teacher said: First: Knowledge can be gained if desired by the heart. Second: Knowledge must be cultivated and passed down to the next generation. Third: There must be benefit–if the Spaniards remain here to take the wealth of the country, it is only fitting that the foreign country also give knowledge and education.

Kabanata 9: Mga Suliranin Tungkol sa Bayan (Chapter 9: Problems Regarding the Town)

• On that day, Maria Clara was scheduled to get her belongings from the convent. Her Tiya Isabel was already waiting in the carriage to leave. He then came to learn of Padre Damaso.
• The priest didn't like their departure so he went up to the Captain's house muttering. Immediately, the Captain greeted him and was about to kiss his hand, but the priest rejected him. Instead, he immediately told the Captain what his purpose was to the Captain.
• According to Padre Damaso, Kapitan Tiyago should not have a secret from him because he is Maria Clara's second father. He also said that the young woman should stop her relationship with Ibarra. The priest added that the Captain should not aspire to good for his enemies.
• The Captain was convinced by what Padre Damaso said so after he left, the Captain immediately put out the candles that Maria Clara had lit for Ibarra's trip back to the town of San Diego.
• Meanwhile, Padre Sybila went to the Dominican convent in Puerta de Isabel II, where he visited the priest who was seriously ill.
• He reported the past events such as the fight Padre Damaso had at Kapitan Tiyago's house, the Lieutenant's alleged siding with the Captain General, and allying with Padre Damaso.
• The old man said that the increase in taxes was the reason for the exhaustion of their wealth as well as that the Filipinos have learned from handling property.

Kabanata 10: Ang San Diego (Chapter 10: The San Diego)

• San Diego is located on the bay of the lake and has extensive fields. It is a legendary town in the Philippines.
• Agriculture is the livelihood of the people in this town who lack education and knowledge in business, in which they are taken advantage of by foreign Chinese.
• Noticeable here from the top of the church is a forest in the middle of the fields.
• It is no different from other towns in the Philippines which are led by the church where the government only follows it.
• Before Padre Damaso was transferred to another town because of what he did to Don Rafael Ibarra, he was the parish priest in the church there.
• Among the Spaniards and some wealthy Filipinos are those recognized as having high positions in the town.
• According to legend, an old Spaniard arrived in the town of San Diego. He was said to be fluent in Tagalog and had deep eyes.
• It is said that he bought a forest in that place where his repayment was his possessions such as clothing, jewelry and money.
• Eventually, the old man was found hanging on a balete tree. This caused fear among the people there, so some burned the old man's clothes and threw his jewelry into the river.
• The old man's son named Saturnino soon arrived. He tried to restore his father's remaining possessions. He married a woman from Manila and they lived in San Diego.
• They had a single offspring and this was Don Rafael who was Ibarra's father.
• The farmers liked Don Rafael, and because of his efforts, the town became a town from being a village.
• It is said that Don Rafael's leadership was the root of envy and anger in some of his friends later on.

Kabanata 11: Ang mga Makapangyarihan (Chapter 11: The Powerful)

• There are only a few people in the town of San Diego known to be powerful or casique, like the Roma or Italy in strict competition for power in the town's leadership.
• Don Rafael, Kapitan Tiyago, and some government leaders are not included in this.
• Even though Don Rafael was the richest man in the town, everyone respected, and many owed money, he wasn't the one who owned the power in that town.
• Kapitan Tiyago, who also has possessions and is part of the upper class, welcomed by the musical band, and served with delicious food has no position in the group of powerful men.
• it was said that a government position such as gobernadorcillo or kapitan in the town can be bought for P5,000 and often still scolded by the alcalde mayor.
• If you ask who is really powerful in the town of San Diego, it is none other than the parish priest in the church and the Alperes who is the head of the civil guards.
• Padre Bernardo Salvi is the parish priest and a young Franciscan who looks sickly who replaced Padre Damaso. He is more kind than Padre Damaso.
• The Alperes is a drunkard, wife-beater, and cruel to his people. He married a Filipina and she is si Donya Consolacion who likes to put on makeup.
• Naturally, there is a hidden conflict between the two Spaniards due to power struggles. But in public, they show their feigned agreement.

Kabanata 12: Araw ng mga Patay (Chapter 12: Day of the Dead)

• The cemetery of San Diego is located in a wide field bordered by an old wall and bamboo. There is a large cross erected in the middle of it. The cemetery is bushy and the road to the cemetery is narrow. Muddy when it rains and dusty when it is sunny.
• On that night, the rain was pouring very hard. Two people were busy digging in one part of the cemetery. One was a long-time gravedigger while the assistant was new and could not calm down with what they were doing.
• The two took out the corpse they had dug up that had only been buried for twenty days from death.
• The order to dig up the corpse and transfer it to the Chinese cemetery came from Padre Garrote who is none other than Padre Damaso, the parish priest of that time.

Kabanata 13: Mga Babala ng Bagyo (Chapter 13: Warnings of of a storm)

• Ibarra went to the cemetery of San Diego with their old trustee to look for the tomb of his father, Don Rafael.
• According to the trustee, he planted adelpa and sampaga flowers on the young man's father's grave.
• On the way, they met the gravedigger and asked him where the young man's father's grave is.
• Ibarra was shocked by what the gravedigger confessed: According to him, they threw his father's corpse into the lake due to its weight and was no longer buried in the Chinese cemetery. The gravedigger added that the order he followed came from the parish priest.
• The old trustee cried at what he heard, which a strong anger and hatred was felt by Ibarra so he left his companion.
• When he met Padre Salvi, he asked him for an explanation as to why he desecrated his father's corpse.
• -Ibarra later learned that Padre Damaso was the one in charge of everything.

Kabanata 14: Si Tasyo, ang Baliw o ang Pilosopo (Chapter 14: Tasyo, the Lunatic or the Philosopher)

• Along with Ibarra's day of visiting his father's grave was also Philosopher Tasyo's visit to his wife's grave.
• Due to his unique personality, Don Anastacio or more commonly known as Philosopher Tasyo was known to all the people in San Diego.
• He is the life of the streets and walks and walks, and he has many views on politics and society. Because he was not understood by most, they called him crazy.
• Philosopher Tasyo came from a wealthy family and he is talented and metaphorical in speaking. At the University of San Jose it was studied that his mother stopped him later in the belief that his intelligence would cause him to forget God.
• His mother also wanted the young Tasyo to become a priest, who he disobeyed and got married instead. After a year, the Philosopher became young again and instead of marrying again, he devoted it his time to reading books. Soon he neglected the inherited livelihood from his mother.
• Despit the approaching storm and the drawing of sharp lightning, there is noticeable that the Philosopher Tasyo had a a strange happiness on his face.
• People are surprised by his metaphorical answer to his reaction. According to the Philosopher, the storm will wipe out people, and he desires a deluge that will cleanse the world.
• Iminungkahi din niya sa kapitan ang pagbili ng tagahuli ng kidlat sa halip na mga paputok at kwitis. Tutol din siya sa pagpapatugtog ng mga batingaw sapagkat mapanganib ito kapag kumukulog.
• Pinatawanan naman siya ng mga taong nakarinig sa kanyang mga sinabi.
• Nagpunta si Pilosopo Tasyo sa simbahan at nakita niya doon ang dalawang magkapatid. Sinabihan niya ang mga ito na kung maari ay umuwi na dahil ang kanilang ina ay naghanda ng isang espesyal na hapunan.
• Natuwa ang mga bata sa narinig ngunit sa huli ay tumanggi ang mga ito dahil na rin sa kanilang tungkulin sa simbahan.
• Nagpatuloy sa paglalakad si Pilosopo Tasyo hanggang sa marating ang bahay ni Don Filipo at Aling Doray. Kanilang napag-usapan ang pagdating ni Ibarra sa bayan.
• Nabanggit din ng Pilosopo na nadarama niya ang paghihinagpis ng binata lalo na ng malaman nito ang sinapit ng kanyang ama. Dagdag pa niya, isa rin daw siya sa anim na kataong nakipaglibing sa ama ni Ibarra.
• Ang kanilang usapan naman ay napadako sa purgatoryo, bagay na hindi pinaniniwalaan ni Pilosopo Tasyo ngunit pinaniniwalaan naman nakararami.
• Bagamat hindi naniniwala ang Pilosopo sa purgatoryo ay nirerespeto naman daw niya ang pananaw ng relihiyon dito. Aniya, ito raw ay gabay upang ang tao ay mabuhay ng malinis.
• Di nagtagal ay nagpaalam na rin ang Pilosopo at lumakad palayo ng masiglang-