In Paris, France, Jose Rizal wanted to get involve more or go deeply regarding his

field Ophthalmology. He stayed for four months; he worked as an assistant to Dr.

Louis de Weckert; he met his friends, Juan Luna painter; where Rizal volunteered
as a model, Pardo de Taveras where he played flute, confused that he has no
talent in music, he also composed some songs (Alin Mang Lahi aspiration for
freedom & La Deportacion his exile in Dapitan) and lastly, Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo.
After Paris, Jose went to Heidelberg, Germany. He worked for Dr. Otto Becker in the
University Eye Hospital, listened to his lectures and as well as of Professor Wilhelm
Kuehne. He befriended some law students and played chess with them. Rizal visited
some of the famous places in which one was the beautiful spring flowers, reminded
him of his place in Calamba; where he wrote a poem entitled: To the flowers of
Heidelberg. Rizal met Pastor Karl Ullmer where he spent his summer vacation in
Wilhelmsfeld, for three months he stayed in his place treated him well. Jose
appreciated on how his family treated him with kindness and hospitality.
In Berlin, Jose Rizal met scientists who were involved in his field. Dr Feodor Jagor
author who wrote Travels in the Philippines; he might be the one who influenced
Rizal in writing The Philippines a Century Hence. Dr Rudolf Vichow
anthropologist and the latters son Dr Hans Virchow Professor of descriptive
anatomy. Dr W. Joest respected German geographer. And Lastly, Dr Karl Ernest
Schweigger known ophthalmologist. Jose Rizal became a member of the
Anthropological Society, Enthnographic Society and Geographical Society of Berlin.
To improve his ophthalmic knowledge, he chose to stay in Berlin. He worked in the
clinic of Dr Schweigger. German women were serious, diligent, educated, and
friendly as whatve Rizal observed. Jose Rizal admired the German customs in which
one was the Christmas custom of decorating a pine tree on Christmas eve and
second was Germans way of introducing oneself to strangers in social gathering. In
Berlin, There was a point in time in which he struggled, his so-called darkest
winter. He experienced poverty, he was financially broke, he wasnt able to pay his
rent, he pawned the diamond ring which was given to him by Saturnina, Hes eating
bread and water or some cheap soup once a day only, and his clothes were old. It
was also the time were his brother, Paciano wasnt able to send money because of
their sugar production and market were at their lowest. It was winter in Berlin and
Rizal ended being sick and afraid of having a disease.

Dr Maximo Viola a friend of Rizal was the redeemer of Noli Me Tangere. He was the
one who aroused Rizal from despondency, starvation, poverty and misery. He
helped Rizal in financing the printing rate of the said book. He also arrived at the
point where he almost thrown it into the flame. He also lends Rizal for his living
expenses. Jose Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere for three years where he started back
when he was in Spain, 1884 and finished the final chapters in Berlin, 1886. The title
of the book is taken from the bible verse (John 20:17 Touch me not; for I am not yet
ascended to my Father.). Jose envisaged the idea of writing a novel that would
interpret the evils of Philippine society compromised by the Spanish colonization
after understanding Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. He favored that the
forthcoming novel express the way Filipino culture was toward the rear, antiprogress, anti-intellectual, and not conducive to the morals of the Age of
illumination.
Crisostomo Ibarra is the heir of a wealthy clan. He returns to the Philippines after
studying for seven years abroad. He hears news/gossip about the death of his
father, Don Rafael Ibarra. Don Rafael was sent to prison in connection with the
death of a tax collector. Since Don Rafael stopped receiving Holy Communion for a
long time, he was refused a Catholic/Christian burial by Padre Damaso, the parish
priest of their town. Crisostomo (let's just call him Ibarra from hereon) sees the lack
of progress in his town and decides to build a school to teach and prepare his
townspeople. Tandang Tacio (the old philosopher) notes that there have been many
attempts to build a school in the past, but all these had failed. Padre Salvi opposes
the plan because he is secretly worried that the school project will threaten the
power he wields over their town. Ibarra almost gets killed while he is laying the
cornerstone of the school, but Elias saved him. Elias is the mysterious fellow who
also saved Ibarra previously. With so many powerful enemies, Ibarra eventually gets
implicated in a staged revolution, and is hunted down by the guardia civil. Maria
Clara, Ibarra's sweetheart, unwittingly adds to Ibarra's woes when she switches
Ibarra's letter with another letter that reveals her true nature. The guardia civil
catch up with Ibarra, and drizzle him and Elias with bullets near the lake. Ibarra
survives and buries Elias in the forest owned by the clan of Ibarra. The guardia civil
think Ibarra drowned and died in the lake and promptly leave the scene. Maria Clara
thinks Ibarra really died, gets depressed, and enters the nunnery. She does not
follow the advice of Padre Damaso to marry Linares.