History YMMV / NoliMeTangere

** Father Damaso [[spoiler: is Maria Clara's biological father.]] Not helped by a popular[=/=]UsefulNotes/SchoolStudyMedia 1998 biopic of Rizal spoiling the twist in the wrong place and time within its segments dramatizing his novels.

* {{Narm}}: In the 1961 movie adaptation, Ibarra and Elias get into a heated argument while in a rowboat, with both of them in turn standing up and flinging an oar away. [[FridgeLogic How did they get back on land?]] Since the movie is often UsefulNotes/SchoolStudyMedia like the mandatory book, this has drawn many chuckles over the years.

** [[spoiler: Ibarra]] becomes this towards the end of the book, finally knowing what it's like to be punished for the sin of being a good person.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Filipinos are perpetual victims. All Spaniards are venal and corrupt. HiddenDepths is nowhere to be found. If you couldn't, the negative impacts of colonialism and imperialism is treated with as much subtlety as a mack truck veering wildly off road whilst carrying a practicing brass band.[[note]] Seeing the situation at the time kinda justifies it more or less [[/note]]

* ValuesDissonance:
** Though Rizal wrote Maria Clara as the "[[ProperLady ideal image]]" of the Filipino woman, modern literary critics and historians find her as "a misfortune" from the Spanish era due to being portrayed as weak and not taking an active role.
* ValuesResonance:
** The social cancers Rizal decried in the book - corruption, moral abuses leadership, colonial mentality, blatant hypocrisy and the overwhelming political influence of organized religion - are still issues that plague the country over 130 years later.
** Not only that, the book and the law that backs it up encourages readers not to accept the horrible world for what it is and do what we can to eliminate the injustices brought forth by a corrupt and uncaring system.

* HarsherInHindsight: Like Elias, Rizal himself died "without seeing the dawn", indirectly ''because'' of writing this book, and so historians discuss how much Rizal could have been a "conscious hero".

* TearJerker: ''The Sacristans'' properly introduces Basilio and Crispin, two poor boys working for the church and are deathly aware of their situation. They're starving, they haven't seen their mother in a week and Crispin is accused of stealing two gold coins (which is equal to approximately a lot of money.) Crispin, [[HarmfulToMinors who is only seven years old]] knows that he's going to die because he can't get the money back. Basilio can only listen as his brother takes a savage beating, crying out for his mother and brother to save him. [[WouldhurtAChild The chapter ends with two gunshots.]]

* ValuesDissonance: Though Rizal wrote Maria Clara as the "[[ProperLady ideal image]]" of the Filipino woman, modern literary critics and historians find her as "a misfortune" from the Spanish era due to being portrayed as weak and not taking an active role.
* ValuesResonance: The social cancers Rizal decried in the book - corruption, moral abuses leadership, colonial mentality, blatant hypocrisy and the overwhelming political influence of organized religion - are still issues that plague the country over 130 years later.

* TheWoobie: Basilio, Sisa, and Crispin. They pretty much embody the abuse that poor Filipinos had during that time.

** Father Damaso [[spoiler: is Maria Clara's biological father.]] Not helped by a popular/SchoolStudyMedia 1998 biopic of Rizal spoiling the twist in the wrong place and time within its segments dramatizing his novels.

* {{Narm}}: In the 1961 movie adaptation, Ibarra and Elias get into a heated argument while in a rowboat, with both of them in turn standing up and flinging an oar away. [[FridgeLogic How did they get back on land?]] Since the movie is often SchoolStudyMedia like the mandatory book, this has drawn many chuckles over the years.

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: [[GreenEyedMonster Father Salvi]] orchestrates the entire rebellion just to separate Ibarra and Maria Clara.]]

** Also, Father Damaso is often pictured as an elderly FatBastard, but Rizal actually describes him as middle-aged with his hair only starting to turn gray, with a formidable appearance - [[LanternJawOfJustice square-jawed]] with a [[HeroicBuild Herculean frame]], like a Roman patrician of old. Some historians think the FatBastard image is from confusing/combining him with Friar Botod ("Friar Fullbelly"), from the writings of Rizal's compatriot Graciano Lopez-Jaena.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Filipinos are perpetual victims. All Spaniards are venal and corrupt. HiddenDepths is nowhere to be found.[[note]] Seeing the situation at the time kinda justifies it more or less [[/note]]

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: The negative impacts of colonialism and imperialism is treated with as much subtlety as a mack truck veering wildly off road whilst carrying a practicing brass band, but a lot of Filipinos still don't get the message.

** Also, Father Damaso is often pictured as an elderly FatBastard, but Rizal actually describes him as middle-aged with his hair only starting to turn gray, with a formidable appearance - square-jawed with a [[HeroicBuild Herculean frame]], like a Roman patrician of old. Some historians think the FatBastard image is from confusing/combining him with Friar Botod ("Friar Fullbelly"), from the writings of Rizal's compatriot Graciano Lopez-Jaena.

** Also, Father Damaso is often pictured as an elderly FatBastard, but Rizal actually describes him as middle-aged with his hair only starting to turn gray, with a formidable appearance - square-jawed with a Herculean frame, like a Roman patrician of old.

** Father Salvi serving hot cocoa to guests. If they're favored, he secretly signals his servant to make it thick and rich by saying "Make a cup of chocolate, eh?" while if they're deemed unimportant, he says "Make a cup of chocolate, ah?" and his servant makes it thin - eh and ah being short for ''esposo'' (thick) and ''aguado'' (watered-down). Today, some dining establishments offering Spanish-style hot cocoa have adopted "Chocolate Eh" and "Chocolate Ah" on their menus, [[{{Defictionalization}} following the novel]].