Genre
novel, satire, romance
Setting and Context
The Philippines, near Manila, in the late 19th century
Narrator and Point of View
Omniscient third-person narrator
Tone and Mood
Sometimes satirical, dryly humorous, sometimes serious and mournful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Ibarra, who hopes to live up to his father's legacy and improve his community. The main antagonist is Father Salví, who plots against him.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is between Ibarra and Father Salví. Yet Ibarra is also in conflict with Spanish colonial society as a whole as he attempts to reform Philippine society, though he is reluctant to realize the extent to which the dominant authorities oppose him.
Climax
Ibarra's escape
Foreshadowing
One example is the scene where the yellow man advocates for a heavier component for the mechanism to build the school, suggesting he is in on the plan to kill Ibarra. The heavy stone later kills the yellow man instead. Another example is Father Dámaso's close relationship with María Clara, as well as the description of María Clara possessing European features, which both foreshadow the revelation that she is Father Dámaso's biological daughter.
