Noli Me Tangere is a popular novel by the Filipino author, José Rizal. The English translation of the title is “Don’t touch me”, but when it was first translated into English, the book was renamed The Social Cancer. Originally written in Spanish, Noli Me Tangre was intended to expose and dramatize the ill treatment of native Filipinos by the Spanish government, which controlled the Philippines at the time. The English translations of the work can sometimes be difficult to understand, and it is useful to have a brief summary of the book, Noli Me Tangere, bookmarked in your web browser just in case you need to use it later.

Noli Me Tangre is about the problems and injustices experienced by the fictional character, Juan Crisostomo Ibarra. All of the problems he experiences are brought about by corrupt officials in the Spanish government of his home town.

When the book starts, Ibarra is returning to the Philippines after a 7 year absence, and he is reunited with his lover, María Clara. He also learns the details of his father’s death, which was caused by one of his father’s political opponents in his home town of Binondo, Manila. Father Dámaso is one of the religious/political figures in Binondo who dislikes Ibarra’s dad. By accusing Ibarra’s dad of being a heretic, and by using the death of a local student to make him look bad, Father Dámaso turned the community against Ibarra’s dad, and had him thrown in jail where he got sick and died. Ibarra’s father was disgraced further when his body was thrown into the lake while workers were transporting him between burial sites.

After learning about the atrocities committed against his father, Ibarra does not seek revenge, but instead decides to build a school, which was something his father had always planned to do. By building the school, Juan Crisostomo Ibarra shows that he is genuinely concerned about the education and welfare of the Filipino people, because he puts the political squabbling aside in order to help the community. Ibarra is nearly assassinated at the school’s opening celebrations, but he is saved by a man named Eliás.

After the assassination attempt, Ibarra is thrown into jail for a crime that he did not commit. Eliás again assists Ibarra by helping him escape from prison. As they are absconding in a boat, Ibarra hides under some leaves. Eliás jumps into the water in an attempt to fool the guards, but his plan fails and he is shot by the guards and left for dead. Since the guards think that they shot Ibarra, they cease their pursuit of the boat he is hiding on, and he escapes unharmed.

One of José Rizal’s goals in writing the story was to bring attention to the corruption present in the Spanish controlled government of the Philippines. Noli Me Tangre exposed corruption, created widespread controversy, and gave native Filipinos a sense of unity. José Rizal was executed in 1896 for inciting rebellion.

Print this brief summary of the book, Noli Me Tangere, so that you will remember to read the full text when you have some free time.

Photo Credit: Original Cover of Noli Me Tangere