IDEA OF WRITING A NOVEL IN THE few chapters of the Noli in

PHILIPPINES Wilhelmsfeld ín April-June, 1886.

 His reading of Harriet Beecher Stowe's  In Berlin during the winter days of
Uncle Tom's Cabin, which portrays the February 1886. Rizal made the final
brutalities of American slave-owners and revisions on the manuscript of the Noli.
the pathetic conditions of the o Sick and penniless, he saw no hope
unfortunate Negro slaves, inspired Dr. of having it published, so that in a
Rizal to prepare a novel that would depict the momentary fit of desperation,
the miseries of his people under the lash he almost hurled it into the flames.
of Spanish tyrants. He was then a  Years later he told his good friend and
student in the Central University of former classmate, Fernando Canon: “I
Madrid. did not believe that the Noli Me Tangere
 In a reunion of Filipinos in the Paterno would ever be published when I was in .
residence in Madrid on January 2, 1884, Berfin, broken-hearted, weakened, and
Rizal proposed the writing of a novel discouraged from hunger and deprivation.
about the Philippines by a group of I was on the point of throwing my work
Filipinos. into the fire as a thing accursed and fit
o His proposal was unanimously only to die.”
approved by those present, among VIOLA, SAVIOR OF THE NOLI
whom were the Paternos (Pedro,  In the midst of his despondency and
Maximino, and Antonio), Graciano misery, Rizal received a telegram from Dr.
Lopez Jaena, Evaristo Aguirre, Maximo Viola' who was coming to Berlin.
Eduardo de Eete, Julio Llorente, This friend of Rizal was a scion of a rich
Melecio Figueroa, and Valentin family of San Miguel, Bulacan.
Ventura.  When he arrived in Berlin shortly before
 Unfortunately, Rizal's project did not Christmas Day of 1887, he was shocked
materialize. Those compatriots who were to find Rizal living in poverty and
expected to collaborate on the novel did deplorably sickly due to lack of proper
not write anything. The novel was nourishment.
designed to cover all phases of Philippine  Upon seeing his talented friend's
life. predicament, Viola, being loaded with
 However, almost everybody wanted to ample funds, gladly agreed to finance the
write on women. Rizal’ was disgusted at printing cost of the Noli. He also loaned
such flippancy. He was more disgusted to Rizal some cash money for living
see that his companions, instead of expenses.
working seriously on the novel, wasted o Thus it came to pass that Rizal and
their time gambling or flirting with Viola happily celebrated the
Spanish señoritas. Christmas of 1886 in Berlin with a
 Undaunted by his friends' indifference, he sumptuous feast.
determined to write the novel – alone  After the Christmas season, Rizal put the
THE WRITING OF THE NOLI finishing touches on his novel. To save
 Toward the end of 1884, Rizal began printing expenses, he deleted certain
writing the novel in Madrid and finished passages in his manuscript, including a
about one-half of it. When he went to whole chapter - “Elias and Salome."
Paris, in 1885, after completing his  On February 21, 1887, the Noli was finally
studies in the Central University of finished and ready for printing. With
Madrid, he continued writíng the novel, Viola, the savior of the Noli, Rizal went to
finishing one-half of the second half. different printing shops in Berlin to survey
o He finished the last fourth of the the cost of printing.
novel in Germany. He wrote the last  After a few days of inquiries, thcy finally
found a printing shop - Berliner
 Buchdruckrei-Action-Gesselschaft ─  As an ethnologist, he visited the rural
which charged the lowest rate, that is, areas of the countries he visited to
300 pesos for 2,000 copies of the observe the customs and life-styles of
novel. their simple inhabitants.
RIZAL SUSPECTED AS FRECHY SPY o Favorably impressed with Rizal's
 During the printing of the Noli, a rare explanation and fascinated by his
incident happened to Rizal. One morning mastery of the German language
the chief of police Berlin paid a sudden and personal charisma, the police
visit to Rizal's boarding house and chief was satisfied and allowed him
requested to see the latter's passport. to stay freely in Germany
 Unfortunately, Rizal could not produce a PRINTING OF NOLI FINISHED
passport, for he had none - in those days  After the incident of his aborted
it was possible to travel without a deportation as a suspected French spy,
passport. Rizal, with the help of Viola, supervised
o The police chief then told him to the printing of the Noli.
secure a passport within four days, o Day by day, they were at the
otherwise he would be deported. printing shop proof-reading the
 Immediately, Rizal, accompanied by Viola printed pages.
went to the Spanish embassy to seek the  On March 21,1887, the Noli Me Tangere
help of the Spanish ambassador, the came off the press. Rizal immediately sent
Count of Benomar, who promised to the first copies of the printed novel to his
attend to the matter. intimate friends
o But the ambassador failed to keep o including Blumentritt, Dr. Antonio
his promise, for it turned out that Ma. Regidor, G. Lopez Jaena,
he had no power to issue the Mariano Ponce, and Felix R.
required passport. Hidalgo.
 At the expiration of the four-day  In his letter to Blumentritt, dated March
ultimatum, Rizal presented himself at the 21, 1887, he said:
office of the German police chief, o “I am sending you a book. It is my
apologizing for his failure to obtain a first book, though I have already
passport and politely asked the latter why written much before it and received
he was to be deported when he had not some prizes in literary
committed any crime. competitions. It is the first
 The police chief informed him that he had impartial and bold book on the life
received intelligence reports that he (Rizal) of the Tagalogs. The Filipinos will
had made frequent visits to the villages find it the history of the last ten
and little towns in the rural areas, thereby years. I hope you will notice how
arousing the German government's different are my descriptions from
suspicion that he was a French spy, those of other writers. The
inasmuch as he entered Germany from government and the friars will
Paris, where he resided for some years probably attack the work, refuting
and was apparently a lover of France, my arguments; but I trust in the
whose language and culture he knew so God of Truth and in the persons
much. who have actually seen the
o At that time the relations between sufferings at close range. I hope I
France and Germany were strained can answer all the concepts which
on account of Alsace-Lorraine. have been fabricated to malign us."
 Rizal, in fluent German language,  On March 29, 1887, Rizal, in token of his
explained to the police chief he was not a appreciation and gratitude, gave Viola the
French spy, but was a Filipino physician galley proofs of the Noli carefully rolled
and scientist, particularly an ethnologist. around the pen that he used in writing it
 and a complimentary copy, with the o He gave Editor Corominas an
following inscription: article on the Carolines Question,
o “To my dear friend, Maximo Viola, then a controversial issue, for
the first to read and appreciate my publication
work- Jose Rizal.”  In November 1885,Rizal was living in
THE TITLE OF THE NOLI Paris, where he sojourned for about four
 The title Noli Me Tangere is.a Latin phrase months. He worked as an assistant to Dr.
which means “Touch Me Not.” It is not Louis de Weckert(1852-1906), leading
originally conceived by Rizal, for he French ophthalmologist, from November
admitted taking it from the Bible. 1885 to February 1886.
 Rizal, writing to Felix R. Hidaldo in French  He rapidly improved his knowledge of
on March 5, 1887, said: “Noli Me Tangere, ophthalmology, as revealed by his letter to
words taken from the Gospel of Saint his parents on January 1, 1886,
Luke, signify “do not touch me.” o “With respect to the study of the
 In citing the Biblical source, Rizal made a ailments of the eyes," he wrote, “I
mistake. It should be the Gospel of St. am doing well. I know now how to
John (Chapter 20, Verses 13 to 17). perform all the operations; I only
According to St. John, on the First Easter need to know what is going on
Sunday, St. Mary Magdalene visited the inside the eye, which requires
Holy Noli Me TAngere Published In much practice”.
Berlin(1887) Sepulcher, and to her Our  Outside of his working hours at Dr.
Lord Jesus, just arisen from the dead, Weckert's clinic, Rizal relaxed by visiting
said: his friends, such as the family of the
o "Touch me not; I am not yet Pardo de Taveras (Trinidad, Felix, and
ascended to my Father, but go Paz), Juan Luna, and Felix Resurreccion
to my brethren, and say unto Hidalgo.
them, I ascend unto my Father, o Paz Pardo de Tavera was a pretty
and your Father; and to my God girl, who was engaged to Juan
and your God.” Luna. On the album of this girl,
THE AUTHOR’S DEDICATION Rizal drew a series of sketches on
To his ‘Fatherland’ – the Philippines the story of “The Monkey and the
Turtle”.
 At the studio of Luna, Rizal spent many
IN GAY PARIS happy hours. He discussed with Luna, the
 Shortly after terminating his studies at great master of the brush, various
the Central University of Madrid, Rizal, problems on art and improved his own
who was then 24 years old and already a painting technique. He helped Luna by
physician, went to Paris in order to posing as model in several paintings. In
acquire more knowledge in Luna's canvas “The Death of Cleopatra,
ophthalmology. “Rizal posed as an Egyptian priest. In
 On his way to Paris,, he stopped at another of Luna's great paintings, “The
Barcelona to' visit his friend, Maximo Blood Compact,” he posed as Sikatuna,
Viola, a medical student and a member of with Trinidad Pardo de Tavera taking the
a rich family of San Miguel, Bulacan. role of Legazpi.
o He stayed for a week, during which RIZAL AS MUSICIAN
time he befriended Señor Eusebio  Music played an important part in all
Corominas, editor of the newspåper Filipino reunions in Barcelona, Madrid,
La Publicidad and made a crayon Paris, and other cities of Europe. The
sketch of Don Miguel Morayta, Filipino contemporaries of Rizal could
owner of La Publicidad and a either play an instrument or sing.
statesman.
  Especially, in the home of the Pardo de joined them in their chess games
Taveras and in the Luna studio, every and beer-drinking, and watched
reunion was enlivened with the playing or their friendly saber duels.
singing of the kundimans and other  After a few days, Rizal transferred to a
Philippine melodies. boarding house which was near the
 Rizal had no natural aptitude for music, University of Heidelberg.
and this he admițted. But he studied  He worked at the University Eye Hospital
music because many of his schoolmates under the direction of Dr. Otto Becker,
at the Ateneo were taking music lessons. distinguished German ophthalmologist,
 In a letter dated November 27,1878, he and attended the lectures of Doctor
told Enrique Lete that he “learned the Becker and Prof.Wilhelm Kuehne at the
solfeggio, the piano, and voice culture in university.
one month and a half”.  During week-ends, Rizal visited the scenic
o However, he confessed that he spots around Heidelberg, including the
could not sing well. “If you could famous Heidelberg Castle, the romantic
hear me sing,” he wrote to Lete, Neckar River, the theater, and the old
“you would wish you were in Spain churches.
because my voice is like the braying o He noticed that the German
of the asses". Catholics and Protestants practiced
 By sheer determination and constant ecumenism, or they lived together
practice, Rizal came to play the flute fairly in harmony and cordiality. One of
well. He was a flutist in various the Town churches was used “one-
impromptu Reunions of Filipinos in Paris. half by the Catholics and the other
o It is said that he even composed half by the Protestants."
some songs, particularly Alin Mang TO THE FLOWERS OF HEIDELBERG
Lahi (Any Race), a pariotic song  In the spring of 1886, Rizal was fascinated
which asserts that any race aspires by the blooming flowers along the cool
for freedom, and a sad danza, La banks of the Neckar River. Among them
Deportacion (Deportation), which was his favorite flower-the light blue
he composed in Dapitan during his “forget-me-not”.
exile.  The beautiful spring flowers reminded him
IN HISTORIC HEIDELBERG of the blooming flowers at the garden of
 After acquiring enough experience as an his home in Calamba.
ophthalmologist in Dr. Weckert's clinic, o In his mood of homesickness, he
Rizal reluctantly left gay Paris on wrote on April 22, 1886, a fine
February 1,1886 for Germany. poem “A Las Flores de Heidelberg"
o He visited Strasbourg (capital of (To the Flowers of Heidelberg)
Alsace Lorraine) and other German
border towns.
 On February 3, 1886, he arrived in
Heidelberg, a historic city in Germany
famous for its old university and romantic
surroundings.
 For a short time he lived in a boarding
house with some German law students.
o These students found out that Rizal
was a good chess player so that
they made him a member of the
Chess Player's Club.
o He became popular among the
German students because he