Crispín Character Analysis in Noli Me Tangere

A very young boy studying to be a sexton, or a caretaker of the church. Crispín and his brother Basilio work tirelessly to send money home to their mother, Sisa, who is married to a drunk gambler who provides nothing in the way of financial or even emotional support. Unfortunately, the chief sexton falsely accuses Crispín of stealing money from the church. This means that the boy has to work extra hard to make up his debt, though his elders are constantly fining him for minor or invented infractions. One night, he and his brother are supposed to go home to visit their mother for the first time in a week, but the chief sexton interferes with their plans, ordering that they stay past dark and past the town’s curfew. When Crispín points out that this will make it impossible for them to visit Sisa, the sexton hauls him away and beats him severely. This is the last time he is seen, and one can presume he died at the hands of a merciless sexton or priest, though a church member tells Sisa that Crispín stole from the church and escaped in the night.

Crispín Character Timeline in Noli Me Tangere

The timeline below shows where the character Crispín appears in Noli Me Tangere. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Colonialism, Religion, and Power Theme Icon

Crispín and Basilio, the two young apprentice sextons that Tasio spoke with earlier, stand at the... (full context)

As Crispín and Basilio worry what their mother will think if the priest tells her Crispín is... (full context)

...save from purgatory, since “heaven is expensive” and the church won’t “save beloved souls for free”—Crispín and Basilio’s mother, Sisa, waits in the darkness for her boys. She is an impoverished... (full context)

...fired gunshots, and one of the bullets grazed his forehead. He tells his mother that Crispín has stayed behind in the parish house, and changes the subject when she asks if... (full context)

...mother prays. In his dreams, he sees the chief sexton, the priest (Father Salví), and Crispín, who trembles in fright and looks for a place to hide. Furious, the priest questions... (full context)

...a sexton, instead proposing a new plan. The next day, he explains, he’ll go get Crispín from the parish house and visit Ibarra, who he’s heard has returned from Spain and... (full context)

...sitting amongst these nuns, stands and goes upstairs to visit the priest to ask about Crispín’s whereabouts. She comes upon a parish servant, who tells her she can’t speak to the... (full context)

Just as Sisa is about to reach her house—hoping to find Crispín and Basilio safe inside—she sees two Civil Guard soldiers. They’re leaving her house empty-handed, having... (full context)

...sextons, and the ensign takes this opportunity to lampoon Salví for having lost track of Crispín and Basilio, accusing him of caring more about missing money than missing children. (full context)