The book is a social commentary narrating the cruelty of the Spanish friars to the Filipinos. The story is woven around the romance of Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara but the deeper and more subtle theme revolves around the abuses of Spanish priests and the colonial government. Crisostomo Ibarra is the son of Don Rafael Ibarra, and had studied in Europe. Maria Clara is a girl blessed with beauty, grace and charm, and is the daughter of a Spanish friar (priest), Padre Damaso, and a Filipina, Doña Pia Alba, who is married to Santiago de los Santos, popularly known as Capitan Tiago.