RIZAL

1. Activity 5
The Great Novel: Noli Me Tangere
In five to ten sentences answer the following:
1. Describe how he had written his Noli Me Tangere and explain the
difficulties he went through and the fruits of his hard work. ( 10pts.)
Answer:
While Dr. Jose Rizal was studying medicine in Madrid, Spain, he wrote
the first half of Noli me Tangere. Rizal started writing the second half of
Noli me Tangere while in Germany. After reading Harriet Beecher
Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, he was inspired to write his own novel
on the same subject–to expose Spanish colonial abuse in print. The novel
by Harriet Beecher Stowe depicts white men abusing black slaves.
Through writing, Rizal suggested to his fellow Filipino friends in Europe
that they meet and plan to write a novel similar to that of Beecher
Stowe. At the time, Rizal intended to write the novel through the
collective efforts of other Filipinos who shared his ideals. Rizal and his
friends decided to get together at the Paternos' home in Madrid. They all
agreed to collaborate on a single novel. When the writing started, most
of them wanted to change the subject from Spanish abuse to something
related to women. As a result, Rizal stormed out of the hall and decided
to write the novel himself.
Because Rzal required a large sum of money for the publication of his
first novel, his eldest sister Saturnina had to sell her gold ring to help
him cover the costs. Due to a lack of financial resources, Rizal decided
to remove the chapter "Elias and Salome" from the novel. He believed
that removing this chapter about the love story of the supporting
characters Elias and Salome would have no effect on the central idea of
Noli Me Tángere.
Rizal's labor resulted in his being able to expose the Filipino people's
sufferings to the public eye, as the ancients did with their sick, so that
the merciful and generous could suggest and apply appropriate care. He
was able to awaken the minds of the Filipino people who had been
blinded by the colonizers’ with their black propaganda’s and military
forces.

2. 2. What insights did you learn from the Novel? (10pts.)
Answer:
Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal was about the description of Spanish
colonization in the Philippines and how the Spanish treated Filipinos
badly. This novel contains a lot of symbolism and real-life events that
opened the eyes of the Filipino people during the Spanish colonization
to start the revolution and overthrow the Spanish colonizers. Every
character in Noli Me Tangere has a role that represents a different role
in Philippine society in order to fight for the country's freedom. Jose
Rizal portrayed his persona as Crisostomo Ibarra, a rich character who
was rebellious and fought for the freedom of the Spaniards, as opposed
to Elias, who was poor and oppressed by the Spaniards but sacrificed his
life so that Crisostomo could escape because he believed Crisostomo had
a better chance of fighting against the Spaniards. In the sequel to the
novel "El Filibusterismo," Elias' sacrifice paved the way for Crisostomo
Ibarra's vengeance against the Spaniards.
3. What lessons did you learn from the Novel? (10 pts.)
Answer:
Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal encourages us to consider our actions and
beliefs in relation to our country. The novel’s theme of promoting
nationalism and accepting change in ourselves is still relevant today. We
must patronize our country by upholding the law, promoting Philippine
culture, and realizing the true goal of the country by working together
to improve it. It instills in us the values of wisdom, standing up for what
is right, and loving our country. This novel is being taught in schools in
order to prevent history from repeating itself by teaching our youth how
to love our country and to empower them as change agents for our
country. Being a true Filipino is what Jose Rizal wishes for us to be;
knowing who we are and what our true goals are will help the country
thrive.
Noli Me Tangere is a novel that served as a warning to Filipinos to fight
against the colonizers and serves as a reminder of our history today. The
characters and events in the story are reminiscent of our lives, culture,
and beliefs as Filipinos. This literary piece will imprint in our hearts the
values that the novel teaches us in order to be a good role model for our
country. Reading this literary work will help us understand the true
meaning of nationalism and act as a catalyst for change.