by Paz Marquez Benitez
Paz Márquez-Benítez
Born: March 3, 1894
Died: November 10, 1983,
Paz Márquez-Benítez was a Filipino short-story writer, educator and
editor. Her career as a woman educator as well as her contributions as a
writer are seen as an important step within the advancement of women in
professional careers as well as in the development of Philippine literature.
Character
Alfredo Salazar:
He is the son of Don Julian. He is over thirty years old bachelor. Alfred Salazar
believes in true love and optimism to discover ecstasy in its stir. Esperanza is the
first woman he falls in love with. After their engagement, he falls in love with Julia
Salas.
Esperanza:
She is the wife of Alfredo Salazar. Esperanza is an impassionate woman
having strong will and principles. A homely woman, she is also among the
lucky women who have the aptitude of consistent beauty.
Julia Salas:
She is the sister in law of Judge Dal Valle, a friend of Alfredo’s father.
She is the second woman with whom Alfredo falls in love with. She
remains single for her entire life.
Don Julian:
He is the father of Alfredo Salazar.
Carmen:
She is the only sister of Alfredo Salas.
Judge Del Valle:
He is Julia’s brother in law.
Donna Adella:
She is Julia’s sister. A pretty, small, plump woman with baby
complexion.
Calixta:
He is a note-carrier of Esperanza and Alfredo Salazar.
Dionisio:
Donna’s husband.
Vicente:
Carmen’s husband.
Brigida Samuy:
The elusive woman whom Alfredo is searching for.
Intruduction
Dead Stars is a short story of an over thirty years old bachelor,
Alfredo Salazar who was about to get married to his fiancée,
Esperanza. His love and passion for his fiancé started getting
fade as he was attracted to another woman named Julia Salas. As
Alfredo knew that his family will disapprove his desire of having
another woman, he unwantedly married with Esperanza and
started his own family. Later, after eight years, Alfredo went on a
business trip to Julia’s place. In his visit to Julia, to his surprise,
he recognized that he no more feel attracted to her anymore. He
compared his love for her as dead stars, his memory of a long way
to get a girl he thought he loved.
Summary
The story of the short story Dead Stars revolves around a
man, Alfred Salazar, and his affairs. Alfred Salazar believes in
true love and optimism to discover ecstasy in its stir.
Esperanza is the first woman he falls in love with.
The families of both of them are acquainted with each other
and hence they start a loving relationship. Both get engaged
after three years of their relationship. Alfredo is a lawyer who
has strong desires and wants warmth and compassion,
however, Esperanza is an impassionate woman having strong
will and principles. Alfredo’s love for her soon fades away when
he meets Julia. Julia, now, becomes a new object of his desire.
Julia Salas is sister in law of the Judge, who is a friend of Alfredo’s
father. Julia is an optimistic and enthusiastic person having her
own dreams and desires.
When Alfredo comes across her, he is strongly attracted to her. On
his visit to her with his father, he engages himself in conversation
with her and is attracted to her charm. Even he is so passionate
that he doesn’t disclose his engagement to Esperanza.
So as to avoid the discovery of his fiancée, he keeps secrets from
Esperanza too. His eyes are doomed when he learns about Julia’s
return to his native town. With the fear of losing her, Alfredo
decides to declare his true feeling for Julia.
When the Church’s function ends, Alfredo goes to meet her, though his
fiancé is waiting for him. When he reaches there, he learns that Julia has
already known about his engagement to Esperanza. She wishes him for
his marriage and leaves him.
On his return home, he gets a double blow. He finds Esperanza talking
to her friend about loyalty and faithfulness. Alfredo senses a desire to
communicate. He supports the reason for craving and choice over
dishonesty.
Esperanza soon confesses that she knew about his affair with Julia. In
pursuit of his lust and heart’s content, she encourages him to cancel the
wedding. However, the wedding goes ahead as scheduled and Alfred
surrenders to reason.
Near Julia’s native town, Alfred, after eight years, is sent to some work duty. On his visit, he feels nostalgic and cannot resist his lust for Julia and soon finds an excuse to meet her.
Julia is still single that forces Alfred to dream about
starting a new life with her; however, he soon realizes that
everything is not the same as it were before. Moreover,
Julia has also changed lost something.
Literary Analysis
Dead Stars is a narrative short story by Par Marquez Benitez. The story is
written in the third person point of view using the pronouns he, she, it, they,
etc.
The short story Dead Stars, written in 1925 has a significant place in
Philippine English Literature as it gives birth to modern English writing in
Philippine. At that time, English was newly introduced and the writers were
struggling hard while using English as a medium of expression.
Dead Stars is the masterpiece of Paz Marque Benitez. In this short story, he
didn’t only talk about love. His writing is significant as it reflects the spirit
of the time. It depicts the language, norms and the manners of the people
during that time. The readers are enabled to understand how marriage,
fidelity, and courtship were viewed during the early twentieth century. This
serves as a mode to compare the past and the present, and the fading
traditional culture and the predominating modern culture.
Themes
Forbidden Love:
Dead Stars expresses the subject of forbidden love. Forbidden love is only
apparent and curses and disturbs the person until a person realizes his or her
faults.
Responsibility:
Responsibility is another underlying theme of the story. Alfred is engaged to
his beloved to get married, yet, he distracts himself with another woman
Julia. He forgets his responsibility towards his to-be wife, even after eight
years he still thinks of Julia until he realizes that Julia has changed herself.
Thank you
Source:
Source:https://litpriest.com/short-stories/dead-
stars-summary-themes-analysis/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paz_M%C3%A1rquez-
Ben%C3%ADtez
