A.

History:

History of Noli Me Tangere

December 1886 when Rizal finished the novel Noli Me Tangere. But before that Rizal feared that the novel might not be printed and that maybe it would remain unread according to one of his biographers. At that time he was struggling with financial constraints and so he thought that it would be hard to pursue printing the novel. But his friend Maximo Viola came to him helped to print his book at a fine print media in Berlin named Berliner Buchdruckerei-Aktiengesellschalft. But then Rizal at first, hesitated but Viola insisted and ended up lending Rizal Php300 for 2,000 copies; Noli was eventually printed in Berlin, Germany. The printing was finished earlier than the estimated five months. Viola arrived in Berlin in December 1886, and by March 21, 1887, Rizal had sent a copy of the novel to his friend Blumentritt.

And then August 21, 2007 when the 480-page then-latest English version of Noli Me Tngere was released to Australian book stores. The Australian edition of the novel was published by Penguin Books Classics, to represent the publication's "commitment to publish the major literary classics of the world." American writer Harold Augenbraum, who first read the Noli in 1992, translated the novel.

History of El Filibusterismo

After four years when the novel Noli finished, El Filibusterismo was written. In here Rizal reveals a more mature and less hopeful outlook regarding the political and social situation in the Philippines. The frustrations he had experienced in his efforts toward social reform in those years account for the book's graver tone. Rizal himself considered Fili to be a better, more profound novel than Noli. His biographer Retana agrees that as a political novel, it is superior. Upon completing El Filibusterismo Rizal wrote to Blumentritt: "I have not written in it any idea of vengeance against my enemies, but only for the good of those who suffer, for the rights of Tagalog...."

Given the reaction to his first book, Rizal tried to avoid allowing the second one to fall into the hands of the Spaniards. He had after all written El Filibusterismo not for the Spaniards but for the Filipino people to read. After distributing copies of the first edition to his friends in Europe, Rizal designated most of the remainder to be sent to the Philippines. The books were first sent to his residence in Hong Kong, to be smuggled to the Philippines by friends. Upon shipment to the Philippines the copies were immediately seized by the authorities, making El Filibusterismo a rare book overnight. The few copies that were circulated were greatly in demand among the Filipinos.

The content of the novel and its dedication were used as proof of Rizal's subversion when he was tried. Against Rizal's intentions, along with Noli Me Tangere the book inspired Andres Bonifacio and other revolutionaries in their cause.

B. Political

Political issue of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo

In this novel Rizal were raised similar issues such as the need to reform in education, superstition masquerading as religion, the abuses of the friars, the corruption of officials, and the pretensions of social-climbing natives and Spaniards .And Rizal uses satire and caricature, but there is less humor, more bitterness in his treatment of situations.

The main theme focused on by El Filibusterismo is the ideal means of achieving social reform. A number of chapters have long dialouges that seem like debates, pitting Rizal's fading hopes for reform against his long-held aversion to revolution. The latter still seems to win out, as the novel ends with Simoun's failure at revolution and Padre Florentino's conviction that freedom should be won without bloodshed.

Some scholars argue, however, that Rizal's aversion was mainly towards a disorganized revolution of an uneducated people, since it could have little chance of success and only lead to "useless spilling of blood." Rizal's comment that a noble, patriotic and self-sacrificing man such as Elias in Noli would be a

good revolutionary leader would seem to support the idea that Rizal supported the idea of armed revolution in certain conditions, despite his preference for achieving reforms bloodlessly. In any case, the lengthy discussions of the possible means of achieving social reform indicate that Rizal had given the different possibilities much serious consideration.

C. As a Novel

Noli Me Tangere

The book is a social novel narrating the romance of Crisstomo Ibarra and Mara Clara. Crisstomo Ibarra is the son of Don Rafael Ibarra, and had studied in Europe. Mara Clara is a girl blessed with beauty, grace and charm. She is the daughter of a Spanish priest, Padre Dmaso and a Filipina, Doa Pa Alba who married Capitn Tiago. The Spanish authorities, particularly Padre Dmaso, hated and feared Crisstomo Ibarra, a young, wealthy, European-educated Filipino, because he had patriotic ideas of helping his oppressed countrymen.

The work was instrumental in creating a unified Filipino national identity and consciousness, as many natives previously identified with their respective regions. It lampooned, caricatured and exposed various elements in colonial society. Two characters in particular have become classics in Filipino culture: Maria Clara, who has become a personification of the ideal Filipina woman, loving and unwavering in her loyalty

to her spouse; and the priest Father Dmaso, who reflects the covert fathering of illegitimate children by members of the Spanish clergy.

The book indirectly influenced a revolution, even though the author actually advocated direct representation to the Spanish government and a larger role for the Philippines within Spain's political affairs

El Filibusterismo

They use to interpret the novel as representative of Rizal's dilemma to reconcile his faltering hope for securing his country's independence with his belief in a nonviolent struggle. The style and content are said to sound closer to a dialogue between two opposing sides, rather than to a free-flowing narrative. Many agree that Simoun's death and Father Florentino's lamentations ultimately reaffirm Rizal's conviction that freedom could be achieved without the need for bloodshed. Some interpretations however, have insisted that Rizal in fact does not condemn violent revolution but instead implies a point of view that the Philippines and the Filipinos are not ready for armed uprising and must instead entrust the future to the youth and allow them proper education. This claim is strengthened by the constant emphasis on young students and their academic misfortunes at the hands of the corrupt and incompetent Spanish ruled educational system.