Books & Literature

I think Rizal knew exactly where to insert his brilliantly conceived support characters. Without the hilarious Doña Victorina and her long-suffering opportunistic spouse, these chapters would weigh heavily, with Ibarra still shunned, Maria Clara unwell and on the verge of unraveling some dark secret, and Elias embarking on the difficult mission of averting a catastrophe. … [Read more...] about Noli Me Tangere Chapter Summaries 41-45

Guerrero, Rizal’s biographer, did not hold a high opinion of Maria Clara.[1] Neither do countless essayists, artists, orators and ordinary citizens. Don’t we now commonly use Maria’s name as a derogatory term to describe weak, helpless women? While I do wish she was endowed with better qualities, I can’t help but empathize with her character. It must have been difficult to … [Read more...] about Noli Me Tangere Chapter Summaries 36-40

The conflict between Padre Damaso and Ibarra finally comes to a head. In a fit of rage, we see Ibarra take matters into his own hands, all the while delivering the most moving speech in the book in my opinion. Chapter 31: The Sermon Padre Damaso delivers the first half of his sermon in Spanish, extolling the virtues of Saint Diego in such high-sounding words, and in … [Read more...] about Noli Me Tangere Chapter Summaries 31-35

Anyone who has never been to a Filipino fiesta may think dedicating more than five chapters to one is a bit excessive. The truth is, it may not even be enough. Even to this day, our fiestas are so grand and lavish, that some take weeks to prepare, with the actual events lasting a week, or even a month. In comparison, Rizal’s description of San Diego’s fiesta is even a little … [Read more...] about Noli Me Tangere Chapter Summaries 26-30

There is a critical conversation here between Tasio and Ibarra, which I feel imparts the core purpose of the Noli --- exposing the sad state of affairs in the Philippines during Rizal’s time. It is likely however, that because this serious theme was repeatedly and heavily dwelt upon in school, I found myself more absorbed in the reading of Elias and Salome’s story … [Read more...] about Noli Me Tangere Chapter Summaries 21-25