ELIAS AND SALOME- THE MISSING CHAPTER OF NOLI

PRESENTED BY:

ARJEL A. DIONGSON

“Fled are the days of ease,

The days of Love’s delight;

When flowers still would please

And give to suffering souls surcease

From pain and sorrow’s blight.”

- JOSE RIZAL

“ELIAS AND SALOME”

- Originally intended by the author to follow Chapter XXIV, “In the Woods”.

-crossed out in a blue pencil so that it was deleted from the printed novel.

- Relates Elias’ escape from the picnic when the Guardia Civil came to arrest him and with his sad parting with Salome.

WHY DID RIZAL DELETES THE

CHAPTER?

TO SAVE PRINTING EXPENSES

JOSE RIZAL- Was in dire financial situation

in Berlin during the days when he was putting the finishing touches to the Noli.

- Knew that the cost of printing is in proportion with the number of pages of the manuscript.

- Rewrote several chapters, making them more compact to economize the number of pages.

JOSE RIZAL

- Deleted one whole chapter without destroying the story of the novel – “ELIAS AND SALOME”.

- Considered Ibarra a more important character, although Elias was nobler.- Killed Elias in the novel and let Ibarra live however repented having killed Elias.

“I’m sorry I have killed Elias instead of Crisostomo Ibarra. But when I wrote

the Noli my health was very bad and I never believe I could write the continuation and talked about

revolution. Otherwise, I would have preserved the life of Elias, a noble

character, a patriot, unselfish and self-sacrificing, the necessary qualities for

a man to lead a revolution, while Crisostomo was an egoist who decided

to provoke a rebellion only when he was injured through his property, his person, his love, and all that he held sacred. Success cannot be expected

for the enterprise of a man like that.”

- JOSE RIZAL

ELIAS

NOBLE

PATRIOT

UNSELFISH

SELF-SACRIFICING

Salome is waiting for Elias to arrive, sat on

a bamboo batalan, sewing

a camesa of bright colors.

When she heard footsteps, she laid aside her

sewing, went to the bamboo

stairway where Elias stood carrying a bundle of

firewood and a bunch of

bananas which he placed on the

floor, while he handled a

wiggling dalag to the girl.

Salome noticed that her love was sad and pensive. She

tried to console him; asking

about the girls at the picnic

which the Guardia Civil

soldiers disturbed,

looking for him.

Elias told her in a gay mood that

there were many beautiful

girls, among whom was Maria

Clara, the sweetheart of a rich young man who just came from Europe.

ELIAS AND SALOME

Afterwards, the young man rose,

preparing to leave. She told Salome that it won’t appear good for the

people to know that night

overtook him there but stayed for a while when

he knew that she has been

crying.

Salome explained that it is not right for

her to live alone. She told Elias

that she will go to her relatives

in Mindoro.

Elias agreed to Salome’s plan to go to the house of her relatives. He told Salome to forget him; to forget a love so mad and futile;

and to find someone who is

not like him.

Salome exclaimed but Elias explained that the day of

his pursuers had already came

and that he will be just left alone

for the rest of her life. He told her to improve her beauty and to get a good

husband whom she deserves.

Salome told Elias that he

might go with her but he

refused. Elias then narrated

what happened earlier at the picnic that

morning; how he was saved by

Ibarra from the jaws of a

crocodile, to whom he vowed

to repay the good deed even to the extent of sacrificing his

life. He explained that anywhere he

would go, even to Mindoro, the past would still be discovered.

Salome looked at Elias tenderly and told him to

stay in her house to

remember her; to sleep where she have slept

and dream- as if she was beside

him; and to remember their

memories together in her

house.

Elias exclaimed, waving his hand in desperation, and told her to

forget him. After disengaging

himself from her tender embrace,

he left with a heavy heart, following the

lonely path lined with the

shadows of somber trees in

the twilight.

Salome followed him with her

gaze, listening sadly to the

fading footsteps in the gathering

darkness.

THE END