Rizal's Novels

• Jose Rizal wrote 8 novels, including 6 unfinished and untitled works, and 2 published novels.

Unfinished and Untitled Novels

• One unfinished novel has 44 pages in Rizal's handwriting, the manuscript is preserved in the National Library, and the hero is Kamandagan.
• Makamisa is a Tagalog novel with only two finished chapters in a 20-page manuscript.
• There is a novel written in ionic Spanish during Rizal's exile in Dapitan; it consists of 8 pages.
• Life in Pili, Laguna is an unfinished Spanish novel with 147 pages, including characters such as Pedro Agaton, and Cecilia.
• Cristobal is an untitled novel about a young Filipino student returning from Europe.
• One novel is written in two notebooks, with the first containing 31 pages and the second containing 12 pages.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" inspired Rizal to write a novel about the suffering of Filipinos under Spanish rule.

Noli Me Tangere

• Work on Noli Me Tangere started in Madrid in 1884, with Rizal finishing about half of it.
• Rizal completed half of the second half in Paris in 1885 while studying at the Universidad Central Madrid.
• He finished the last fourth in Germany, and the last few chapters were written in Wilhelmsfeld in April-June 1886.
• Viola financed the printing due to Rizal's lack of funds
• Rizal and Viola supervised the printing of Noli, proofreading the pages, and the novel was released on March 21, 1887.
• Rizal sent the first copies to Blumentritt, Antonio Ma. Regidor, and others.
• On March 29, 1887, Rizal gave Viola the galley proofs of Noli out of gratitude.
• "Noli Me Tangere" means "Touch Me Not" and comes from the Gospel of St. John.

Attackers and Defenders of the Noli

• Fr. Jose Rodriguez published pamphlets to discredit Noli.
• Father Font distributed copies to discredit the same controversial novel.
• Vicente Barrantes criticized Noli in an article published in "La España Moderna" in January 1890.
• Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Antonio Ma. Regidor, and others defended the Noli.

Important Characters in the Noli

• The novel features nine important characters.
• Crisostomo Ibarra is a Filipino-Spanish descendant of Don Rafael Ibarra, who spent seven years studying in Europe.
• Maria Clara is the primary female character, daughter of Capitán Tiago and Doña Pia Alba, raised under the guidance of T Isabel.
• Padre Damaso is a Franciscan friar and former curate of San Diego, known for being snobbish and ruthless.
• Kapitán Tiago is the son of a wealthy trader, who became a servant of a Dominican priest.
• Filósofo Tacio is referred to as a philosopher/sage or an imbecile depending on the views of the townspeople.
• Elias is from a family oppressed by the Ibarra clan who becomes indebted to Ibarra.
• Doña Victorina pretends to be a mestiza and marries Don Tiburcio.
• Sisa is married to Pedro and is the mother of Basilio and Crispin who goes lunatic searching for her children after they go missing.
• Doña Consolacion is the wife of the Alferez and used to be a laundry woman.

Representation of Noli Characters

• Crisostomo Ibarra symbolizes the idealism of the privileged youth.
• Elias represents the common Filipino and is said to be the personification of Andres Bonifacio.
• Kapitan Tiago symbolizes the rich Filipinos who oppress their fellow countrymen.
• Maria Clara symbolizes the purity and innocence of a sheltered native woman.
• Doña Victorina symbolizes those with a distorted view of their identity.
• Don Tiburcio represents the ignorant Spaniards.
• Pia Alba represents the women abused by the clergy and silenced by their shame.
• Gobernador General represents the typical Governor Generals who disregarded the power of the friars.
• Alfonso Linares represents the young Spaniards seeking a better life in the Philippines.
• Alferez Dona Consolascion's husband represents the officials with power struggles with Church officials.
• Pilosopo Tasyo symbolizes the learned Filipinos and is a pessimist.
• Padre Hernando Sibyla symbolizes the liberal friar.
• Padre Bernardo Salvi manipulates people, harboring lust for Maria Clara.
• Padre Damaso symbolizes the Spanish friars of Rizal's time.
• Sisa personifies the suffering of the motherland.
• Basilio and Crispin represent the innocent who were wrongly accused of crimes
• Doña Consolacion symbolizes the Filipinos ashamed of their own race and nationality.

Conditions and Problems of Philippine Society

• Noli Me Tangere conveys the suffering of Filipinos under Spanish colonization.
• Rizal perceived Noli as a reflection of the social, moral, and political life of his time, depicting the need for redemption from bondage and repression.

El Filibusterismo

• Rizal deleted the Elias and Salome chapter because it was an economic decision.
• After arriving in Ghent, Belgium, Rizal chose the F. Meyer Van Loo Press for printing El Filibusterismo.
• Valentin Ventura provided financial help to resume printing the book.
• Rizal dedicated the novel to Gom-Bur-Za.
• The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo is preserved in the National Library.

Characters of El Filibusterismo

• Simoun Crisostomo Ibarra resurfaces as a wealthy jeweler seeking revenge.
• Basilio, the son of Sisa, is a graduating medical student who befriends Simoun.
• Isagani is Basilio's friend who sabotaged Simoun's plans to start a revolution.
• Kabesang Tales resurfaces as the feared bandit Matanglawin.
• Don Custodio is a journalist who married a rich woman to be part of Manila's high society.
• Paulita Gómez is the girlfriend of Isagani who marries Juanito Peláez.
• Tiburcio de Espadana ends up with Juanito Pelaez and is no longer with Isagani.
• Macaraig is one of Isagani's classmates and the leader of the student.
• Father Florentino is Isagani's godfather and a secular priest.
• Huli is the girlfriend of Basilio, who eventually commits suicide.
• Juanito Pelaez is a favorite student of the professors who marries Paulita.
• Doña Matutinay is Tiburcio de Espadaña's wife in Noli Me Tangere.
• Father Camorra is the lustful parish priest of Tiani
• Ben-Zayb is a journalist who believes he is the "only" one thinking in the Philippines.
• Placido Penitente is a student who did not wanted to pursue his studies.
• Hermana Penchang is Sagpang's rich gambler who offers Juli to be her maid.
• Tiburcio de Espadaña is hiding at Father Florentino's.
• Father Irene helped the students establish the Academia de Castellano so Basilio will obtain nothing from the inheritance.
• Quiroga is a Chinese businessman.
• Don Timoteo Pelaez is Juanito's father and a rich businessman.
• Tano raised the sick and young Basilio after he left their house.
• Father Fernández promised the students would get what they demand.
• Sandoval coerces his classmates to lead the Spanish student academy.
• Hermana Bali became full's figure and counselor: helped to release Kabesang Tales
• Father Millon is a Physics friar professor.
• Tadeo, along with the other three members of their gang, supposedly posted the posters.
• Leeds is an American who holds stage plays.
• Tano became a civil guard.
• Pepay is Don Custodio's "girlfriend".
• Gobernador General prioritizes the needs of his fellow Spaniards.
• Father Hernando de la Sibyla is a Dominican friar.
• Pecson suggested that they held the mock celebration
• Father Bernardo Salvi is a parish priest
• Captain Tiago disintegrated by smoking opium

Major Theme of Fili

• El Filibusterismo is a more revolutionary and tragic sequel to Noli Me Tangere.
• Padre Florentino was based on Father Leoncio Lopez, Isagani on Vicente Ilustre, and Paulita Gomez on Leonor Rivera.

Comparison of Noli and Fili

• Noli is a romantic novel, while Fili is a political novel.
• Noli is a "book of the heart," while Fili is a "book of the head."
• Fili consists of 38 chapters, whereas Noli has 64 chapters.
• Noli and Fili demonstrate the actual and real conditions of the Philippines and the sufferings of the Filipinos during the Spanish rule.
• Both novels were instrumentals in awakening the spirit of Filipino nationalism

Rizal's Dedication of the Fili to GOMBURZA

• The novel is dedicated to the memory of priests Don Mariano Gomez, Don Jose Burgos, and Don Jacinto Zamora executed in Bagumbayan Field on February 28, 1872.