Ho Yay / Noli Me Tangere

• Elias and Ibarra, full stop.
  • For one, Elias was only supposed to repay Ibarra for saving his life during the boat ride. The debt was fulfilled when he told Ibarra about the yellowish man who was paid to assassinate him. And yet we see Elias saving Ibarra time and time again over the course of the novel.
  • Elias still forgave Ibarra despite the fact that Ibarra's ancestor was responsible for the tragedy that befalls Elias' ancestors.
  • Ibarra speaks to Elias very formally, despite him not being from a rich background. This is an indication of Ibarra's respect for him.
  • The two are thematically compatible, given the fact that they represent the two sides of opinion regarding the Philippine Revolution. Ibarra is rich and comes from a sheltered past, while Elias is poor and has endured numerous hardships.
  • Elias goes through the trouble of delaying the revolution because he doesn't want Ibarra to be implicated.
  • When Ibarra hugs Elias, he feels a revolver in his pants. Rizal's known for putting innuendos in his books.
  • Elias serves as part of Simoun's motivation in El Fili, with Simoun even speaking about a "noble soul" in Chapter 7.
  • Elias sacrifices his life for Ibarra, despite everything. You don't do that to someone you don't love.*