DEAD STARSBy Paz Marquez Benitez

Paz Marquez BenitesBorn in 1894 in Lucena, Tayabas (now Quezon). Marquez – Benítez 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 Filipino people 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. 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 Benítez with whom she had four children.Márquez-Benítez 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.

CHARACTERS

Alfredo SalazarSon of Don Julian, a more than 30 years old man and a bachelor. He is engaged to Esperanza but is still fleeting with Julia Salas.

EsperanzaThe wife of Alfredo. She is homely woman, literal minded and intensely acquisitive. She is one of those fortunate women who have the gift of uniformity beauty.

Julia SalasThe sister-in-law of Judge Del Valle. She is the other girl of Alfredo that remains single in her entire life.

Don JulianThe father of Alfredo and Carmen.

CarmenThe sister of Alfredo.

Judge Del ValleThe brother-in-law of Julia.

Donna AdellaThe sister of Julia . She is small and plump, a pretty

woman with a complexion of a baby with an expression of a likeable cow.

CalixtaThe note-carrier of Alfredo and Esperanza.

DionisioThe husband of Donna Adella.

VicenteThe husband of Carmen.

Brigida SamuyShe is the illusive woman whose Alfredo is looking for.

SETTINGS OF THE STORY

Don Julian’s HouseThis is where Carmen is asking Don Julian about

Alfredo andEsperanza’s wedding.

Judge Del Valle’s HouseThis is the house where Alfredo went

neighboring with Don Julian and where he met Julia.

Calle RealThis is where the parade for the Lady Of Sorrows

took place and where Alfredo caught up with Julia.

Sta. CruzThis is Julia’s hometown where Alfredo went

looking for Brigida Samuy.

The time of the story is the Lantern Season because they are celebrating the holy week proven by the procession they made with Our Lady of Sorrow

SummaryThe story revolves around Alfredo Salazar, a bachelor over 30 that has 2 women: Esperanza, his fiancée of four years, and a young girl from out-of-town named Julia Salas. Everyone takes it for granted that he will eventually marry Esperanza. But although he is ashamed to admit it, the intensity of his passion for Esperanza has faded and he is attracted to Julia whom he met at a dinner party but he is aware that all his loved ones including Julia would disapprove to his failure to honor his understanding with Esperanza so he and Esperanza get married and have a family. Then, eight years later, he goes on a business trip to the town where Julia , still unmarried, lives. He goes to visit Julia whom he has never forgotten but he is surprised to find that he no longer feels attracted to her. He compares the memory of his love for her to dead stars whose glow is still visible from the earth for years after they are gone.

ExpositionCarmen and Don Julian is talking about Alfredo and Esperanza’s wedding and Alfredo reminisces how he met Julia.

Rising Action Alfredo met Julia and realize that he is in love with her despite her engagement with Esperanza.

ClimaxJulia found out about Alfredo’s wedding and congratulated him. Alfredo needs to make a very difficult decision between choosing what he wants to or choosing what he needs to.

Falling ActionJulia didn’t want Alfredo not to honor his

understanding with Esperanza. She let him go as he went back to Esperanza.

ResolutionAlfredo and Esperanza got married. Several

years later he went looking for a Brigida Samuy where during his journey he met Julia and then he realize that he no longer have feelings for her and compared it to a dead star that is non existent.

Conflict of the story

Man vs. Circumstances

In the story, Alfredo struggles against his fate and the circumstances of life and love facing him. He needs to face problems in choosing between difficult choices of his life.

ThemeThis story “Dead Stars” by

Paz Marquez Benites is conveying the theme that pertains to forbidden love. It says that forbidden love is only apparent and its banes poisons the person until such time that he realizes his faults.

Symbolisms The symbol for forbidden love is

sometimes a heart with red drops of blood leaking from the center or the symbol might also be a heart with the infinity symbol through the center and a few drops of blood or tears.

Lantern season symbolizes the brightness but also love.

Plot Type/Devices

Episodic plot/Flashback The story doesn’t follow a typical chronological sequence but orders events in a fragmentary way. The character was started to turn back to his memories before he stated the reality. He recalled the events in the past.

Point Of ViewThird Person

The author is the one who tells the story and uses the pronouns they, he, she, it etc. We know only what the characters knows ad what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts and feelings of characters if the author chooses to reveal them to us.

References Reference. (2016). Plot of the Dead Stars. Retrieved

from https://www.reference.com/art-literature/plot-story-dead-stars-paz-marquez-benitez-1e8cded5da91faf2

Slideshare. (Jun 2, 2015). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/03Nayer/dead-stars-by-paz-marquez-benitez?next_slideshow=1

The Bibliophilic Night Owl. (January 6, 2011) Summary of the Dead Stars. Retrieved from http://bibliophilicnightowl.blogspot.com/2011/01/summary-dead-stars-by-paz-marquez.html

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