Synopsis of

El Filibusterismo

El Fili is a sequel to the Noli. It is more

revolutionary, more tragic than the first
novel.
The
hero of El Filibusterismo is a
jeweler
named
Simoun,
who
was
Crisostomo Ibarra of the Noli .
Simoun
is a powerful figure not only
because he is a jeweler, but he is a good
friend and adviser of the Governor General.
His two magnificent obsessions:
1. To Rescue Maria Clara from the nunnery of
Santa Clara.
2. To foment a revolution against the hated
Spanish masters.

Characters of El Fili:
Simoun rich jeweler.
Doa Victorina the ridiculously

pro-Spanish native
woman
who is going to Laguna in search of her
henpecked husband.

Tiburcio de Espadaa who has deserted her.

Paulita Gomez Doa Victorinas beautiful niece.
Ben-Zayb (anagram of Ibaez) a Spanish Journalist
who writes

silly articles about Filipinos.

Padre Sibyla Vice Rector of university of Santo Tomas

Padre Camorra the parish priest of the town Tiani
Don Custodio a pro-spanish Filipino holding a high
position in the government

Padre Salvi
San Diego.

thin franciscan friar and former cura of

 Padre Irene
students.

a kind friar who was a friend of the Filipino

Padre Florentino
Priest

Isagani
Paulita.

a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino

a poet-nephew of Padre Florentino and a lover of

Basilio

son of Sisa and promising medical student, whose

medical
education is financed by his patron, Capitan Tiago.
Cabesang Tales who is dispossessed of his land in Tiani by
the Friars like that of Rizals Father. He becomes a bandit chieftain
named Matanglawin.
Juli sweetheart of Basilio (Sisas Son), kills herself rather than be
dishonored by Padre Camorra.
Macaraig a rich student and leader of the Filipino students in
movement to have an academy where they could learn Spanish.
Padre Millon bigoted Dominican friar, who teaches physics in
the University of Santo Tomas without scientific experiments.
Placido Penitente from Batangas, discontented with the poor
method
of instruction in the University.

Seor Pasta

the old Filipino lawyer, who refuses to help the

Filipino students in their petition to the government for educational
reforms.

 Tandang Selo

grand father of juli and father of

Cabesang Tales

Sandoval

a Sapanish Student who supports the cause

of the
filipino students to propagate
the teaching of spanish.

Pecson

one of the Filipino students who agitates for the

speaking of
Spanish.

Pepay the pretty dancer and mistress of Don Custodio.

Padre Fernandez a good Dominican friar and friend
of Isagani.

Don Timoteo

the father of Juanito Pelaez

THE STORY
The story of El Filibusterismo begins on
board te clumsy roundish shaped steamer
TABO, which is sailing upstream the Pasig
from Manila to Laguna de Bay
Simoun,
- a man of wealth and mystery is a very
close friend and confidante of the GovernorGeneral.
- called the "Brown Cardinal" or the
"Black Eminence" because of his great
influence in Malacaang.

Simoun, by using his wealth and political

influence, he encourages corruption in the
government, promotes the oppression of the
masses, and hastens the moral degradation of the
country so that the people may become desperate
and fight. He smuggles arms into the country with
the help of a rich chinese merchant, Quiroga who
wants to be the Chinese consul of Manila.

Simoun's first attempt to begin the armed

uprising did not materialize because at the
last hour, he hears the sad news that Maria
Clara died in the Nunnery. In his agonizing
moment of bereavement, he did not give the
signal for the outbreak of hostilities.

After along time of illness brought about by the

bitter loss of Maria Clara, Simoun perfects his plan to
overthrow the government. On the occasion of the
wedding of Paulita Gomez and Juanito Pelaez, he
gives a wedding gift to them--a beautiful lamp. Only
he and his confidential associate, Basilio (Sisa's son
who joined his revolutionary cause) know that when
the wick of the lamp burns out, the nitroglycerin that
was in the lamp will burn and will explode, destroying
the house and killing all guests, friars, and the
Governor-General.

As the wedding feast begins the poet

Isagani, who has been rejected by Paulita due to
his liberal ideas, is standing outside the house,
watching sorrowfully the merriment inside. Basilio,
a friend of Isagani, warns him to go away because
the ignited lamp will soon explode. Isagani did not
run away to escape but rushed into the house and
hurls the lamp into the river, to save Paulita's life.

The revolutionary plot was thus discovered.

Simoun was cornered and mortally wounded. He
escaped and sought refuge in the home of Padre
Florentino by the sea. The spanish authorities learned
the presence of Simoun in the house of the priest. And
by letter, Lt. Perez of the Guardia Civil informs that
they will arrest Simoun by 8pm.

Simoun eluded arrest by taking poison. As he is dying he

confesses to padre Florentino, revealing his true identity, his
plan to use his wealth to avenge himself and his sinister aim to
destroy his friends and enemies. Simoun's confession is long
and painful. Padre Florentino consoles the dying man by saying

"God will forgive you, seor Simoun. He knows that we

are fallible he has seen that you have suffered, and in ordaining
that the chastisement for your faults should come as death from
te very ones you have instigated to crime, you can see His
infinite mercy. He has frustrated your plans one by one, the best
conceived, first by the death of Maria Clara,then by a lack of
preparation,then in some mysterious way. Let us bow to His will
and render Him thanks!"

Watching Simoun die peacefully with a clear

conscience and at peace with God, Padre Florentino
murmurs:

where there are the youth who will consecrate their

golden hours, their illusions and their enthusiasm to the
welfare of their native land? Where are the youth who will
generously pour out their blood to wash away so much
shame, so much crime, so much abomination? Pure and
spotless must the victim be that the sacrifice may be
acceotable! Where are you, youth, who will embody in
yourselves the vigor of life that has left our brains, the fire
of enthusiasm that has been quenched in our hearts! We

Padre Florentino falls upon his knees and

prays for the dead jeweller. He takes the treasure
chest and throws it into the sea. As the waves close
over the sinking chest, he invokes:
"May nature guard you in her deep abysses among
the pearls and corals of her eternal seas

Noli compared to Fili

The Noli is a romantic novel; it is a work of

the heart a book of feeling. It has a
freshness, color, humor, lightness and wit.
While Fili is a political novel; it is a work of
the head a book of thought; it
contains bitterness, hatred, revenge,
sorrow, pain and violence.
Rizal himself considered the Noli is superior
to the Fili as a novel thereby agreeing
with M.H. del Pilar who had the same
opinion.

Blumentritt, Graciano Lopez Jaena, and Dr.

Rafael Palma are the opinion that the Fili
is superior to the Noli
The issue of which is superior novel- the
NOLI or the FILI is purely academic. Both
are good novels from the point of view of
the history.

Rizals Unfinished Third Novel

September 22, 1891- four days after the
Fili came of the press, he wrote to
Blumentritt:
I am thinking of writing a third novel, a
novel in the modern sense of the word.
But this time, politics will not find much
space in it. But ethics will play the
principal role. I shall deal mainly with the
habits and customs of the filipinos and
only two Spaniards, the friar curate and
the lieutenant of the Guardia civil will be

October 18 1891- Rizal boarded the steamer Melbourne in

Marseilles bound for Hong Kong. During the voyage he began
writing the third novel in Tagalog which he intended for Tagalog
readers. In Hong Kong he continued it but for some reason he
did not finish it.

The story of this unfinished novel begins with the solemn burial
of Prince Tagulima, son of Sultan Zaide of Ternate, on
Malapad na bato a big rock on the bank of Pasig River. Sultan
Zaide with his royal family and retainers, was taken prisoner by
the Spaniards during the wars in the Moluccas and brought to
Manila.
Kamandagan- Hero of the novel, descendant of LakanDula,
last king of Tondo
Maligaya and Sinagtala- two beautiful granddaughters of
Kamandagan, whom he saved against two lustful Spaniards
the cura and encomendero of Bay, Laguna

Rizals Other Unfinished Novels:

MAKAMISA- A novel in Tagalog, written in light
sarcastic style
DAPITAN- written in Ironic Spanish written
during his exile in dapitan to depict the town life
and customs.
(UNTITLED)- a novel in Spanish about the life in
Pili Laguna
Characters:
Padre Agaton, a spanich Friar; Capitan
Pnchong and Capitana Barang; Cecilia, their
pretty daughter; Isagani, lover of Cecilia;
Capitan Crispin, political rival of Panchong; and

 (UNTITLED)- a novel about Cristobal who

has studied for twelve years in Europe;
Amelia his sweetheart. Capitan Ramon, the
father of Cristobal; a Dominican Friar; a
Franciscan friar and a Spanish Lieutenant of
the Guardia Civil.
(UNTITLED)- written in Spanish and the style
is ironic. Through the mouth of the celestial
characters, the author describes the
deplorable conditions of the Philippines.

Chapter 19
El Filibusterismo
(The Subversive)
Published in Ghent,
Belgium (1891)
By:
Galingan, Romalyn
Kate Louriz Balde