Answer:
El Filibusterismo is considered a more mature and revolutionary work compared to Noli Me Tangere, Rizal's first novel. While Noli Me Tangere focused on exposing the oppression and corruption under Spanish rule, El Filibusterismo takes a deeper and darker turn, depicting a society on the brink of rebellion.
Differences:
- El Filibusterismo has a more somber tone, with themes of bitterness, violence, and sorrow, compared to the freshness and romanticism of Noli Me Tangere.
- The protagonist Simoun in El Fili actively foments revolution, in contrast to Ibarra in Noli who tries to address injustices through peaceful means.
- El Filibusterismo intentionally poses questions about how a people should earn their liberty, rather than making recommendations, making it more ambiguous and confounding.
- The novel examines the viability of revolution in the Philippines and the complex interactions between political maneuvering and national identity.
However, both novels were instrumental in sparking the Filipino nationalist movement and inciting Filipinos to rise against Spanish oppression. Rizal's writings, including these two seminal novels, are considered his most powerful weapons in the fight for reforms and independence.
