Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not)

María-Clara is often compared to the Virgin Mary by the narrator and other characters. How does this affect the reader’s perception of her? Is there more to her?

What is the significance of Father Dámaso and Salví’s ties to María-Clara?

What purpose does Doña Consolación’s story serve within the larger context of the novel?

What do Ibarra and Tasio’s deaths symbolize in regards to governance?

What is the significance of Tiago making part of his fortune via the opium trade, rather than gambling or cockfighting?

Why is the narrator often ambiguous about major events such as Crispin’s fate or how Ibarra died?

Why do you think Elías’s shared history with Ibarra was mentioned at all (i.e., the fact that the former’s grandfather was wronged by the latter’s)? What role does family history play in obtaining power?

Author José Rizal was executed because his work inspired revolutionaries in colonial Philippines. Does knowing this history affect how readers understand the novel’s message?