Chapter 19: El Filibusterismo (Publication in Ghent 1988)

 Rizal begun writing “El Filibusterismo” on October, 1887, while practicing

medicine in Calamba.
 The following year (1888), in London, he made some changes in the plot and
corrected some chapters already written.
 He wrote more chapters in Paris and Madrid and finished the manuscript in
Biarritz on March 29, 1891.
 It took him, therefore, three years to write his second novel.

Privations in Ghent

 July 5, 1891 – Rizal left Brussels for Ghent (in Belgium)

 2 Reasons:

i. The cost of printing in Ghent was cheaper than in Brussels and;

ii. To escape from the enticing attraction of Petite Suzanne

Rizal’s 2 Compatriots

 Jose Alejandro (from Pampanga)

 Edilberto Evangelista (from Manila)

(They were both studying Engineering in University of Ghent)

The Printing of El Filibusterismo

 F. MEYER-VAN LOO PRESS, No. 66 Viaanderen Street

 He pawned his jewels in order to pay the down-payment and the early partial
payments during the printing of the novel.
 On August 6, the printing had to be suspended.

Ventura, Savior of Fili

 Valentin Ventura in Paris knew of Rizal’s predicament and immediately sent him
the necessary funds
  The printing of the Fili is resumed.
 On September 18, 1891, EL FILIBUSTERISMO came off the Press
 He sent two printed copies to Hong Kong – one for Basa and the other for Sixto
Lopez.
 Rizal gratefully donated the original manuscript and an autographed printed copy
to Valentin Ventura.
 He also sent copies to Blumentritt, Mariano Ponce, G. Lopez Jaena, T.H. Pardo de
Tavera, Antonio and Juan Luna, and other friends.

Rizal dedicated his El Fili to:

 Don Mariano Gomez

 Don Jose Burgos
 Don Jacinto Zamora

The Manuscript

 The original manuscript of El Filibusterismo in Rizal’s own handwriting is now

preserved in the Filipiniana Division of the Bureau of Public Libraries, Manila. It
had been acquired by the Philippine Government from Valentin Ventura for
10,000 pesos. It consists of 279 pages of long sheets of paper.

 The title page of El Fili contains an inscription written by Ferdinand Blumentritt

 Features that didn’t appear in the printed book:

o Foreword

o Warning

Sypnosis of El Filibusterismo

 Sequel to his first novel, Noli Me Tangere

 It has little humor, less idealism, and less romance than Noli
 It is more revolutionary and more tragic
The Characters of El Filibusterismo

Dona Victorina

Tiburcio de Espadana

Paulita Gomez

Ben-Zayb

Padre Sibyla

Padre Camorra

Don Custodio

Padre Salvi

Padre Irene

Padre Florentino

Isagani

Basilio

Capitan Tiago

Juanito Pelaez

Other Characters:

Cabesng Tales

Juli

Macaraig

Padre Millon

Placido Penitente
Senor Pasta

Tandang Selo

Sandoval

Pecson

Cabesana Andang

Pepay

Padre Fernandez

Don Timoteo

Tano

Chichay

Characters from El Fili were drawn by Rizal from real life

 Padre Florentino was Father Leoncio Lopez

 Isagani was Vicente Ilustre
 Paulita Gomez was Leonor Rivera

“Noli” and “Fili” Compared

Noli Me Tangere

 Romantic Novel
 “Work of the Heart”
 “Book of Feeling”
 It has freshness, color, humor, lightness, and wit
 Has 64 chapters

El Filibusterismo

 Political Novel
  “Work of the Head”
 “Book of the Thought”
 It contains bitterness, hatred, pain, violence, and sorrow.
 Has 38 chapters

Rizal’s Unifinished Third Novel

 On September 22, 1891, four days after the Fili came off the press, he wrote to
Blumetritt about his intentions of writing another a third novel.
 October 18 1891, Rizal boarded the steamer to Melbourne in Marseilles bound for
Hongkong.
 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 finished it.
 The unfinished third novel has no Title.
 It consists of 44 pages in Rizal’s handwriting, still in manuscript form.
 It is now preserved in the National Library in Manila.
 It said that Rizal was fortunate not to finish this novel, because it would have
caused greater scandal and more Spanish vengeance on him.

Rizal’s Other Unfinished Novels

 Makamisa – a novel in Tagalog. It is written in a light sarcastic style. It is

incomplete for only 2 chapters are finished.
 Dapitan – it is unfinished, written in ironic Spanish. He wrote it during his exile in
Dapitan.
 A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna. It is also unfinished. It
is also without title.
 Another unfinished novel of Rizal, also without title, consists of 34 pages.