Skip to main content

Noli Me Tangere: Summary and Analysis of Chapter 12 (All Saints)


Summary:
Burial practices and rituals in the town of San Diego are described in detail.  There is also a very long conversation between a gravedigger and Tasyo the Philosopher.

Points of Note:
In this chapter Rizal introduces yet another consequential character -- Tasyo the Philosopher.

The reader is conditioned to detest the gruesome and cruel disrespect on the grave of Don Rafael through the exchange of ideas of the two men in the story.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: Explain the first paragraph of this chapter.
Answer: Rizal makes a comparison between man and beast.  Animals do not bury their dead.  People, on the other hand, show great respect for the departed such that even some servants go on with their deceased masters to the next life.

Question: Why did Rizal consider the Filipinos different from the rest of the world when it comes to honoring the dead?
Answer: It is very comical to notice that engraved in almost all tombstones are the words "May you rest in peace" or "Requiescat in Pace," contrary to common belief that none of these souls have found eternal peace just yet.  Proof: There are masses held in honor of the dead, prayers offered, etc. done every year by the relatives of the deceased.  Most of them even believe that their departed loved ones are in great suffering, paying for their sins in purgatory.

Question: Whose grave was the old gravedigger talking about?
Answer: Don Rafael Ibarra's.

Question: Why wasn't Tasyo the Philosopher furious at the gravedigger?
Answer: A wise man, he believed that someone who didn't have enough sense to not dig up a grave was not worth the trouble.