Noli Me Tangere

Early in the novel, Ibarra declares that every country’s prosperity, or lack thereof, is proportionate to its freedoms and the sacrifices of its ancestors, an idea that Father Dámaso dismisses as obvious. Yet throughout Noli Me Tángere, Ibarra learns how to make such sacrifices so that the Philippines will one day be great and free. In the letter he sends María Clara before leaving for Europe, Ibarra quotes his father as telling him that he should “sacrifice today for a useful tomorrow,” both in his personal life (leaving María Clara to study) and more broadly, in a political sense. This line is ambiguous, but throughout the novel, Ibarra comes to realize his father’s dream, risking his life to improve the conditions of his community. Elías ultimately dies as a result of his fight for the Filipino people, and he emphasizes the importance of honoring the sacrifice of people like him to Basilio, urging him not to forget “those who fell during the nighttime,” before the sun could rise.