Why is the Noli Me Tangere and El Felibusterismo considered as historical novels of Filipinos?

Question

What is the real message of the two novels?

Answer 1

In Heidelberg, Rizal would finish writing and publish his first novel, Noli Me Tangere, a semi-autobiographical novel which portrays the social crisis in the Philippines.

The plot of Noli follows the life of Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra, who returns to the Philippines after several years of study in Europe. He has the best intentions, but comes immediately into conflict with a society dominated by corrupted friars and complacent civil authorities. In a letter to a friend, Rizal discusses his goal in writing the book: “I have tried to do what no one has been willing to do; I have had to reply to the calumnies which for centuries have been heaped upon us and our country; I have described the state of our society, our life, our beliefs, our hopes, our desires, our laments and our grievances; I have unmasked the hypocrisy, which, under the cloak of Religion, came among us to impoverish us.”

In 1891, Rizal departed from Madrid, and relocated in Ghent, Belgium. His second novel, El Filibusterismo, which he began when he was in England in 1889, was nearly complete. Since he had little money, the printing began section by section. Funds that he expected from the Propaganda Committee and from home never materialized. Facing near-starvation to publish what he could on his own, his problem was solved when a friend in Paris sent him the money to complete the project.

In his dedication to his second novel, Rizal wrote:

To the memory of the priests, Don Mariano Gómez (85 years old), Don José Burgos (30 years old), and Don Jacinto Zamora (35 years old). Executed in Bagumbayan Field on the 28th of February, 1872.

Filibusterismo is a sequel to the first novel, but it has a different tenor. It is more philosophical, and there are a series of dialogues within and between events of the story which address poignantly the challenges that face the future of the Philippines. The central character of Noli returns in disguise, but instead of the idealistic Juan Crisóstomo Ibarra, the reader is introduced to Simoun, a dark and cynical figure vowing revenge and violence against a society that he believed could not be changed otherwise. In this way, Rizal intervened in a fundamental debate. Personally, he was known to oppose violence, but in the character of Simoun, he appears to advocate it.

Rizal can be classed as a universal genius. He dedicated himself to the education of his countrymen. In pursuit of this task, he mastered languages, wrote poetry, and investigated many scientific fields outside of his formal training as an ophthalmic surgeon. He travelled widely, wrote extensively on many subjects, and even translated Friedrich Schiller's Wilhelm Tell and Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales into Tagalog, a native language of the Philippines. His crowning achievement would be the two novels that he wrote while in Europe. These Spanish texts, Noli Me Tangere and El filibusterismo, would unleash a series of incidents which would overthrow Spanish occupation, and lead to the recognition of the Philippines as a nation.

Answer 2

The 2 novels are historical for Filipinos because Jose Rizal was able to point out the "bad" things being done to the Filipinos by the Spaniards. The stories used characters that represent certain people at that time. Like Capitan Tiyago represents one of the Filipinos who are very much influenced by the Spaniards. Rizal was able to point out the influences of the Spaniards and to open the eyes of the Filipinos.

Answer 3

Hope this isn't homework. The books are a depiction of the oppression of FIlipinos during the Spanish colonization. Jose Rizal (the author) showed two ways of fighting back. Education through the Noli, and revolution through the Fili. Read them.

Answer 4

Its bec. Jose Rizal wrote it, our national hero. and when you read that two you will be sad & angry at the same time. Sad for the Filipinos & hatred to the Spaniards. It really reflects the life of the Filipinos in the past. In the Noli, the message is that Jose Rizal wanted to have reform, in the El Fili, he wanted revenge bec. the Spaniards was unjust to him but he cant do it bec he was a peaceful man

Answer 5

What a silly question !---Everyone knows that ! ya gotta stop sleeping in class.