Writing from Biarritz to Mariano Ponce on February 11, 1891 he said: "I have put on much weight since i

arrived here; my cheeks are no longer shrunken as before for the reason that I go to bed early and I have
no cares". Romance with Nelly Boustead Rizal having lost Leanor, came to entertain considerable
affection to Nelly, prettier and younger daughter of Mr. Boustead He found Nelly to be a real filipina,
highly intelligent , vivacious in temperament and morally upright . He told his friends about his love for
Nelly except for Blumentritt, and his intention to propose to her Antonio Luna who had previously loved
and lost Nelly, encourage Rizal to marry her. he wrote a letter to Rizal, saying good things to Nelly and
congratulates him for being one of a kind to her. Tomas Arejola Rizal's friend who told him, "See if
Mademoiselle Boustead suits you court and marry her, and we are here to applaud such a good act".
With the encouragement of his friends Rizal courted Nelly, in turn, reciprocated his affection Unfortunately
his marriage proposal failed for 2 reasons: he refused to give up his catholic faith and be a converted
protestant as Nelly demands. Nelly's mother did not like Rizal as her Son-in-Law. Although they did not
get married, they became a good friends. As Rizal left Europe, Nelly sent him farewell letters saying:
"Now that you are leaving I wish you a happy trip and may you triumph in your undertakings and above
all, made the Lord look down on you with favor and guide your giving you much blessings and you may
learn to enjoy! My remembrance will accompany you as also my prayers". To Paris and back to Brussels
As he had written in Blumentritt, Rizal bade farewell to the hospitable and friendly Boustead Family on
March 30, 1891.

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2. 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:to save printing cost – Foreword – Warning

3. The Manuscript

4. Synopsis of the El Filibusterismo: Characters • Simoun – the main protagonist of the story a rich
jeweler. • Dona Victorina – ridiculously a pro-spanish woman • Tiburcio de Espadana – husband of Dona
Victorina • Paulita Gomez – beautiful niece of Don Tiburcio • Ben-Zayb – Spanish journalist who writes
silly articles about Filipinos • Padre Sibyla – Vice-Rector of UST • Padre Camorra – spanish priest of Tiani
• Don Custodio – pro-spanish Filipino holding a high position in the government • Padre Salvi –
Franciscan friar a former cura of San Diego • Padre Irene – a kind friar who was a friend to Filipino
students • Padre Florentino – a retired scholarly and patriotic Filipino priest

5. • Isagani – nephew of Padre Florentino and lover of Paulita • Basilio – son of Sisa a promising medical
student • Capitan Tiago – patron of Basilio • Quiroga – rich Chinese merchant • Cabesang Tales – father
of Juli dispossessed of his land in Tiani by friars • Juli – the lover of Basilio • Makaraig – rich and leader
of Filipino students in their movement to learn Spanish in the academy • Padre Millon – teaches Physics
in UST w/o experiments • Placido Penitente – student of Padre Millon who bacame disoriented bcause
of the poor methods of instruction • Senor Pasta – old Filipino lawyer who refuses to help Filipino
students in their advocacy • Tandang Selo – grandfather of Juli
6. • Mr. American – owner of the sideshow at the fair of Quiapo exhibiting an Egyptian Mummy. •
Sandoval – a Spanish student who supports the cause of the Filipino students to propagate the teaching
of Spanish • Cabesa Andang – mother of Placido Penitente • Pepay – pretty dancer and mistress of Don
Custodio • Padre Fernandez – a good dominican friar and friend of Isagani • Don Timoteo – father of
Juanito Pelaez • Tano – son Cabesang Tales and brother of Juli • Chichay – the silversmith who made the
bridal earring for Paulita Gomez

7. • Characters from El Filibusterismo were draw by Rizal from real life – Padre Florentino was Father
Leoncio Lopez – Isagani ws Vicente Ilustre – Paulita Gomez was Leonor Rivera

8. 1. To defend Filipino people from foreign accusations of foolishness and lack of knowledge. 2. To
show how the Filipino people live during Spanish colonial period and the cries and woes of his
countrymen against abusive officials.

9. 3. To discuss what religion and belief can really do to everyday lives. 4. To expose the cruelties, graft
and corruption of the false government and honestly show the wrong doings of Filipinos that led to
further failure.

10. The book narrates the return of the protagonist of Noli Me Tangere, Crisostomo Ibarra, under the
disguise of a wealthy jeweler named Simoun. Disillusioned by the abuses of the Spanish, Ibarra
abandons his pacifist beliefs in order to return to the Philippines and start a violent revolution.

11. Noli Me Tangere’s Basilio, now a young man and a skilled medical student, is recruited by Ibarra to
aid him in detoning a bomb at a social gathering, signaling the beginning of the revolution.

12. However, Basilio warns his friend Isagani. Realizing that the woman he loves is in the building,
Isagani throws the bomb into the river, averting the explosion and the revolution. Implicated in these
matters, Simoun commits suicide by taking poison and finds resting place at the home of a priest, Father
Florentino, who hears his last confession and assures him that not all hope is lost.

13. The priest (Father Florentino), upon Simoun’s death, commends the jewels into the sea, remarking
that the jewels once used to bribe and corrupt people, would one day be hopefully found to be used for
a meaningful purpose.

14. Noli and Fili Compared

15. • The issue of which is the superior novel. Noli or the Fili is purely academic • Both are good novels
from the point of view of history • Both depict with realistic colors the actual conditions of the
Philippines and the Filipinos during the decadent days of Spanish rule • Both are instrumental in
awakening the spirit of Filipino nationalism • Bothe are responsible in paving the ground for Philippine
Revolution that brought about the downfall of Spain • El Fili is a true twin of Noli

16. THE UNFINISHED 3RD NOVEL • September 22, 1891 Rizal wrote to Blumetritt saying that he’s
thinking of writing a third novel where ethics will play principal role • October 18, 1891 boarded the
steamer Melbourne in Marseilles bound for Hong Kong • During the voyage he wrote the third novel in
Tagalog in which he intended for Tagalog readers • In Hong kong he continued it, but did not finish it
because his Tagalog was inadequate for literary purposes • The unfinished 3rd novel has no title • It
consists of 44 pages in Rizal’s handwriting
17. • The manuscript is still preserved in the Bureau of Public Libraries • The hero of the novel was
Kamandagan, a descendant of Lakan-Dula, last king of Tondo. He plotted to regain the lost freedom of
his fathers • It is said that Rizal was fortunate not to finish this novel, because it would have caused
greater scandal and more Spanish vengeance on him

18. OTHER UNFINISHED NOVELS • Makamisa - a tagalog novel - written in light sarcastic style -
incomplete with only 2 chapters - consists of only of 20 pages • Dapitan - written in Ironic Spanish - he
wrote it while in Dapitan to depict the town life and customs - Consists of 8 pages

19. • A novel in Spanish about the life in Pili, a town in Laguna - consist of 147 pages - without title •
Another unfinished novel of Rizal, also without title, is about Cristobal, a youthful Filipino student who
has returned from Europe - consists if 34 pages • The beginning of another novel are contained in two
notebooks. The first notebook contains 31 written pages while the second contains 12 pages - written in
Spanish and the style is ironic

20

After the publication of El Filibusterismo, Rizal left Europe and lived in Hong Kong because life was
unbearable in Europe due to his political differences with M.H. del Pilar and other Filipinos in Spain and to
lead the propaganda movement in Hong Kong and last was to be near his beloved Philippines and family.
In this time, Rizal continues to study and practice his medical profession. He was praised and
congratulated by a lot of people. He also wrote a lot of things while he was in Hong Kong. Some were for
the propaganda movement in getting liberty from the Spaniards. Rizal decided to go to Manila. It was
because he wants to confer with Governor Despujol regarding his Borneo colonization project and to
establish the Liga Filipina in Manila and to prove that Eduardo de Lete was wrong in attacking him in
Madrid that Rizal, being comfortable and safe in Hong Kong had abandoned the country’s cause.