CHAPTER III pathetic conditions of the unfortunate Negro

Lesson 9 slaves, inspired Dr. Rizal to prepare a novel

WORKS OF RIZAL that would depict the miseries of his people
under the lash of Spanish tyrants. He was
Lesson Introduction: then a student in the Central University of
In this lesson, we take a closer look at Madrid.
how Rizal used his talent for writing in
reaching a great number of people. From his The Writing of the Noli Me Tangere.
life as a young student up to his final days in Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began writing
Intramuros, Rizal always had his pen beside the novel in Madrid and finished about one-
him. half of it. When he went to Paris, in 1885,
This lesson aims to position the after completing his studies in the Central
student with regard to Rizal's selected works University of Madrid, he continued writing the
in their specific contexts, along with the novel, finishing one-half of the second half.
important concepts found in each one. He finished the last fourth of the novel in
Germany. He wrote the last few chapters of
Exploration: Tracing Rizal's Writing the Noli in Wilhelmsfeld in April-June, 1886.
Rizal's original writings were written in
Spanish. What we have now are translations
of his original works. These translations come Viola, Savior of the Noli.
in many versions by different Rizal scholars. In the midst of his despondency and misery,
Rizal received a telegram from Dr. Maximo
A man of letters, Rizal is known best Viola who was coming to Berlin. This friend of
for his writings. His novels were the reasons Rizal was a scion of a rich family of San
for sparking a revolution. He was also a man Miguel, Bulacan. When he arrived in Berlin
who wrote a lot to his friends, family, shortly before Christmas Day of 1887, he was
colleagues, fellow reformers, and many more. shocked to find Rizal living in poverty and
Aside from all the prose he became known deplorably sickly due to lack of proper
for, he also produced fine poems expressing nourishment.
the deepest desires of his hearts that no On February 21, 1887, the Noli was
essay, letter, or novel could materialize. finally finished and ready for printing. With
Viola, the savior of the Noli, Rizal went to
1. The Noli Me Tangere, a Latin phrase for different printing shops in Berlin to survey the
"touch me not," came off out the press in cost of printing. After a few days of inquiries,
March 21, 1887, published in Berlin, they finally found a printing shop - Berliner
Germany. It was his first attempt to talk about Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft - which
his people while revealing the social ills and charged the lowest rate, that is, 300 pesos for
complications a fellow Filipino like himself 2,000 copies of the novel.
would have to live with during the Spanish
rule. Eventually, this became a massive hit; it The Author's Dedication. Rizal dedicated
became his masterpiece. With the lens of a his Noli Me Tangere to the Philippines - "To
doctor, he tried to expose the ills of society My Fatherland.”
and looked for proper remedy. As a mere Synopsis of the "Noli."
novelist and physician, he applied his The novel Noli Me Tangere contains 63
knowledge of prescription by means of chapters and an epilogue. It begins with a
exposing the evils in society. Rizal intended reception given by Capitan Tiago (Santiago
to bring enlightenment to his readers. Those de los Santos) at his house in Calle Anloague
readers in turn became doctors themselves to (now Juan Luna Street) on the last day of
the malady as each held knowledge vital to October. This reception or dinner was given
its cure or detriment. in honor of Crisostomo Ibarra, a young and
rich Filipino who had just returned after seven
Idea of Writing a Novel on the Philippines. years of study in Europe. Ibarra was the only
His reading of Harriet Beecher Stowe's son of Don Rafael Ibarra, friend of Capitan
Uncle Tom's Cabin, which portrays the Tiago, and a fiance of beautiful Maria Clara,
brutalities of American slave-owners and the
supposed daughter of Capitan Tiago. Rizal's Calvary in connection with the
printing of the Noli was repeated in the Fili's
2. The El Filibusterismo, a Spanish term for printing. His funds ran out in Ghent, a similar
'The Subversion', came out in 1887, calamity that he experienced in Berlin in the
published in Ghent, Belgium. Continuing winter of 1886. Once more he felt the
where he left off with a new cast of dolorous grip of despair. In a moment of bitter
characters, Rizal explored the Philippines in a disillusionment, he almost hurled the
much grander scale. Both these two novels manuscript of the Fili into the flames, just as
depicted the life of the colony, detailing the he almost did the Noli in Berlin.
various characters in their own context while When everything seemed lost, help
drawing inspiration from real life came from an unexpected source. Valentin
contemporaries. Ventura in Paris learned of Rizal's
predicament and immediately sent him the
Days flew swiftly for Rizal in Brussels like necessary funds. With his financial aid, the
flying arrows. printing of the Fili was resumed.
Day in and day out, he was busy revising and
polishing the manuscript of El Filibusterismo The Fili Comes Off the Press.
so that it could be ready for the press. He had At last, on September 18, 1891, El
begun writing it in October, 1887, while Filibusterismo came off the press. Rizal, now
practising medicine in Calamba. The a very happy man, immediately sent on this
following year (1888), in London, he made date two printed copies to Hong Kong - one
some changes in the plot and corrected some for Basa and the other for Sixto Lopez. To his
chapters already written. He wrote more friend in Paris, Valentin Ventura, who
chapters in Paris and Madrid, and finished generously loaned him the funds needed to
the manuscript in Biarritz on March 29, 1891. finish the printing of the novel, Rizal gratefully
It took him, therefore, three years to write his donated the original manuscript and an
second novel. autographed printed copy. He sent other
complimentary copies to Blumentritt, Mariano
Privations in Ghent. On July 5, 1891, Rizal Ponce, G. Lopez Jaena, T.H. Pardo de
left Brussels for Ghent, a famous university Tavera, Antonio and Juan Luna, and other
city in Belgium. friends.
His reasons for moving to Ghent were
(1) the cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper Dedicated to Gom-Bur-Za.
than in Brussels and Evidently, Rizal in all the years of his studies,
(2) to escape from the enticing attraction of travels, and labors in foreign lands, had not
Petite Suzanne. forgotten the martyrdom of Fathers Gomez,
In Ghent, he met two compatriots, Jose Burgos, and Zam- ora, which Paciano related
Alejandro (from Pampanga) and Edilberto to him when he was a mere lad in Calamba.
Evangelista (from Manila), both studying He dedicated El Filibusterismo to them. His
engineering in the world-famed University of dedication reads as follows: To the memory of
Ghent. the priests, Don Mariano Gomez (85 years
old), Don Jose Burgos (30 years old), and
The Printing of El Filibusterismo. Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed
Shortly after his arrival in Ghent, Rizal in Bagumbayan Field on the 17th of February,
searched for a printing shop that could give 1872.
him the lowest quotation for the publication of
his novel. At last, he did find a publisher - F. 3. In one of his poems, Mi Ultimo Adios
MEYER-VAN LOO PRESS, No. 66 (My Last Farewell in English) he bid adieu
Viaanderen Street - who was willing to print to his beloved country. Well hidden in the
his book on instalment basis. He pawned his lamp given to Trinidad on the eve of his
jewels in order to pay the down payment and martyrdom, Rizal spoke in English so as to
the early partial payments during the printing cleverly tell his dear sister as to the contents
of the novel. inside. Later this letter was translated by the
Supremo Bonifacio in Tagalog as Pahimakas
Ventura, Savior of the Fili. ni Dr. Jose Rizal, that further sparked the
cause to revolt, stirring the emotion of the
people.