DEAD STARS BY PAZ MARQUES-BENITEZ I.
Characters: Alfredo Salazar Esperanza, Alfredos fiancee Julia Salas Don Julian Judge del Valle Carmen Settings Time: Setting: Presumably during the 1920s. A town in the Philippines
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Summary Alfredo Salazar is a dashing young man who is on his way to being a lawyer. He was engaged to be married to Esperanza, though the feelings that he has for her were not as strong as it used to be when he was just courting her, yet for the sake of keeping his word, he is ready to marry her. But all of those things changed when he met Judge del Valles visiting sister in law, Julia Salas. She was described as being not obviously pretty, but she has this certain charm Alfredo found he could not resist. Over the weeks the two had spent time together, and more and more he soon found himself being helplessly enamored with Julia, enough to neglect and forget that he is an engaged man. He became confused more than ever. Alas, Julia found out his engagement with Esperanza, and she was not happy that Alfredo kept it from her. Her usual sunny disposition was replaced by a cold civility and formality usually reserved for strangers. Alfredo had let her know the growing confusion inside him by asking Julia the same questions he had been asking himself. She knew then what his feelings for her were, but decided not to interfere since Alfredo is a engaged They parted ways, and Alfredo was left to wonder whether that was the last time hell see Julia. Meanwhile, when he went home, Esperanza was sitting on the couch, waiting for him. She talked to her about an issue regarding Calixta, her note-carrier, and a remark from her vexed him so much he had accidentally raised his voice to her. Esperanza knew then that Alfredo doesnt love him anymore, that he was tired of her, so she weht out weeping. Alfredo knew then that, even though there was no word said, their three-year engagement had just been broke off. Eight years had passed and Alfredo has already become a lawyer. He had married Esperanza still, but theres still a certain part of him that she cannot reach. He was not unhappy in his marriage, and he had come to realize that feelings or stirrings will get a man nowhere. He was sent to Julias town to do an assignment, but while he was there he decided to go and see Julia, to see once again the woman he believed to be still in love with. He was successful in finding Julia, but, maybe because of the years and Julias sudden change, the love he felt for her was gone. He clung to an illusion of being in love, because he thought he was, and meeting Julia has brought an end to that illusion.
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Interpretation of the Title Dead stars refer to the conclusion of the story where Alfredo meets Julia after eight years. All those years, even though he was already married to Esperanza, he thought that he still loved Julia. He held on to that belief until such time they were able to meet again, but all feelings he thought he has for Julia werent there. All those time he thought he loved her, but what he is seeing is the light of a dead star--- something that was there before, but is now gone, and u hold on to its memory because its beauty is not easily forgotten. Its like its been gone for a long while, but you still feel its presence. Lesson of the story: Be content with what you have. Feelings are often unreliable, and you should think first before acting on it. Never be impulsive. Also, once youve made a promise, you have to keep it. So if youre going to make one, you have to e very sure of it, think of the risks involved too. Remember, never do or say anything bad when youre angry, but never promise anything when youre too happy. Questions from the story: Literal: -Who is the author of the story? -When and where did it take place? -Who are the main characters? -What is the main conflict? Inferential: -Why is it entitled Dead Stars? -Why has Julia turned cold and civil to Alfredo when she learned of his engagement to Esperanza? -Do you think Julia has feelings for Alfredo already? Why or why not? Critical -Why do you think Julia chose to stay away from Alfredo after hearing the latters engagement? -If you were Alfredo, will you pursue your engagement wit Esperanza or will you fight for your feelings towards Julia? -If you were Esperanza, what would you have done once you have learned that your fiance is interested with another person? Creative -If you were the author of the story, what ending will you give to it? Will it be the same or will it be different? If it would be different, how will you end it? If it would be the same, why did you choose not to change it? Valuing -What are the lessons you have gleaned from the story? -Have you experienced the same dilemma as Alfredos? If not, do you know anyone who did? What happened?
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-Do you think that the morality standards of the young people during those times were different from the standards our generation have today? VII. Interpretation: Formalist Approach The sentences and the words used in the story are very simple, which made it very easy to understand, but the problem is the arrangement of the events. Because the story started in media res, some readers may be confused and find the story very vague, but once you reach the middle part (actually, it was only in the middle part where the introduction and the preamble of the story is told), you will understand what the story is all about.
VIII. Interpretation: Deconstruction Approach The work actually has two meanings (in my own point of view). One is the obvious, about a guy struggling about his feelings between two girls. He already knows he wants to pick Julia but cannot because duty and norms of his society dictate that he should be with Esperanza instead. The other is a deeper one. Some may think it preposterous, but in deconstruction, everyone has a right to express their own interpretation. It can be an allegory which can pertain to the things that we want (embodied by the girls), like being torn between our duties (Esperanza) and the things that we really want (Julia). It is not necessarily about being torn between two girls, it can also mean being torn between two contrasting ideas. (e.g. love and ambition, family or work dilemma). IX. About the Author Born in 1894 in Lucena City, Quezon, Marquez - Bentez authored the first Filipino modern English-language short story, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in 1925. Born into the prominent Marquez family of Quezon province, she was among the first generation of Filipinos trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of instruction. She graduated high school in Tayabas High School (now, Quezon National High School) and college from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. She was a member of the first freshman class of the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. Two years after graduation, she married UP College of Education Dean Francisco Bentez, with whom she had four children. Mrquez-Bentez later became a teacher at the University of the Philippines, who taught short-story writing and had become an influential figure to many Filipino writers in the English language, such as Loreto Paras-Sulit, Paz M. Latorena, Arturo Belleza Rotor, Bienvenido N. Santos and Francisco Arcellana. The annually held Paz Marquez-Benitez Lectures in the Philippines honors her memory by focusing on the contribution of Filipino women writers to Philippine Literature in the English language. Though she only had one more published short story after Dead Stars entitled "A Night In The Hills", she made her mark in Philippine literature because her work is considered the first modern Philippine short story.
For Marquez-Benitez, writing was a life-long occupation. In 1919 she founded "Woman's Home Journal", the first women's magazine in the country. Also in the same year, she and other six women who were prominent members of Manila's social elites, namely Clara Aragon, Concepcion Aragon, Francisca Tirona Benitez, Carolina Ocampo Palma, Mercedes Rivera, and Socorro Marquez Zaballero, founded the Philippine Women's College (now Philippine Women's University). "Filipino Love Stories", reportedly the first anthology of Philippine stories in English by Filipinos, was compiled in 1928 by Marquez-Benitez from the works of her students. When her husband died in 1951, she took over as editor of the Philippine Journal of Education at UP. She held the editorial post for over two decades. In 1995, her daughter, Virginia Benitez-Licuanan wrote her biography, "Paz MarquezBenitez: One Woman's Life, Letters, and Writings."
