Rizal Writing Noli Me Tangere 

Jose Rizal wrote the first sections of his novel Noli Me Tangere in 1884 in Madrid, Spain when he was still studying medicine. Rizal continued with this novel in Paris, France after he finished his medicine course. Jose Rizal finished the last sections of the novel in Berlin, Germany. Rizal drew his inspiration in writing Noli Me Tangere from a book entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin which was authored by Harriet Beacher Stowe. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is about the life of  Negro slaves under the hands of powerful white Americans. The book centered on the sufferings, maltreatment and hardships experienced by the Negro slaves and compared the sad plight of the slaves with the unfair treatment experienced by his countrymen under the Spanish rule.

Noli Me Tangere is a Latin word which means “Touch Me Not” which was mentioned in the Bible in the book of St. John the Baptist. Rizal described the state of the country under the Spaniards as a disgrace which provided more hardships to the life of the Filipinos. The detailed story about the sufferings of his countrymen were meant to awaken the Filipinos to the truth that was adversely affecting the society and which had not been talked about by the people most probably due to fear with the ruling Spaniards.