Byron C.

Delos Santos
2G BTVTEd FSM

STORY ANALYSIS
TITLE
Dead Stars

AUTHOR (short biography)

Paz Marquez Benitez - Born to the prominent Marquez family of Quezon Province,
Marquez Benitez belonged to the first generation of Filipinos trained in the American
educational system. She was a member of the first freshman class of the University of the
Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. She taught at the University’s
English department from 1916 to 1951, acquiring a reputation as an outstanding teacher. Among
her students were Loreto Paras Sulit, Paz Latorena, Bienvenido Santos, Manuel Arguilla, S.P.
Lopez and National Artist Francisco Arcellana, who later emphatically declared, “She was the
mother of us all!”

SETTINGS
• House of Don Julian
• House of Del Valle
• Church of Our Lady sorrow
• Calle Real

CHARACTERS
• Alfredo Salazar – son of Don Julian and engaged to Esperanza
• Esperanza – wife of Alfredo Salazar. One of those fortunate women who have the gift of
uniformly beauty.
• Julia Salas -sister-in-law of Judge De Valle. She is the other girl of Alfredo Salazar that
remains single in her entire life.
• Don Julian – an old man, father of Alfredo Salazar and Carmen
• Carmen – sister of Alfredo Salas
• Judge Del Valle – brother-in-law of Julia Salas
• Donna Adella – sister of Julia Salas. She is small and plump, a pretty woman with a
complexion of a baby with an expression of a likeable cow.
• Dionisio – husband of Donna Adella
• Vicente – husband of Carmen
PLOT
Alfredo and Esperanza are engaged to be married at the start of the novel. Many people
think their relationship is ideal. Alfredo and his father, Don Julian, travel to see a local judge one
night. He meets Julia, a young woman, there. Alfredo continues to pay visits to the judge,
quickly falling in love with Julia.
Alfredo marries Esperanza despite his emotions for Julia. He runs across Julia again eight years
later. He recognizes at that time that he is no longer in love with Julia and that his feelings for
her have turned into a "dead star."

INTRODUCTION
Alfredo Salazar, a thirty-year-old bachelor, was set to marry his fiancée, Esperanza. He
was embarrassed to admit it, but his love and passion for Esperanza had waned. Instead, he was
drawn to Julia Salas. But, despite knowing that all of his loved ones would disapprove of his
longing for another woman, Alfredo married Esperanza and started a family. He then went on a
business trip to a place where Julia resides eight years later. When he went to see Julia, he was
astonished to learn that he was no longer attracted to her. He compared the memory of his love
for her to dead stars, a long way from gaining the girl who was far away, and he compared the
love that he believed he had for her to the love that he thought he had for her to the love that he
thought he had for her to the love that he thought

RISING ACTION
He and Don Julian had gone to Del Valle's residence to judge it. Julia Salas was the first
person he met. He kept addressing her as Mrs. Del Valle, which caused him humiliation. Visiting
the judge's residence became a habit. Despite his engagement to Esperanza, he recognized he
was in love with Julia.

CLIMAX
The climax begins when Alfredo, unexpectedly, sees Julia in the square. When he
contacted her, he realized Julia had learned about his engagement to Esperanza. Alfredo was
perplexed by his own emotions, since he believed he had fallen in love with Julia, but he couldn't
ignore the fact that he was engaged to Esperanza.

FALLING ACTION
Julia didn't want Alfredo to recognize his knowledge of Esperanza. She said her
goodbyes. He arrived at Esperanza's home. And that concludes the last sentence.

DENOUEMENT/ENDING
 Alfredo and Esperanza got married. After eight years, he was looking for Brigida Samuy,
a lady who was important to his defense in the court in Sta. Julia's hometown is Cruz. He went to
Julia's residence and discovered that she is still single.

MORAL
Characters such as Alfredo and Julia are up against not only the odds that fate has thrown
at them, but also their circumstances, public and moral obligations. To make matters worse, they
are also fighting a battle within themselves, a battle against their own emotions and
understanding.

ANALYSIS
The "Dead Stars" indicate an unrecognized presence. It refers to feelings and connections
that may exist but aren't fully realized, causing them to lose their true meaning and significance.
The attraction between Alfredo and Julia was shown in the story as a forbidden and scandalous
phenomenon. They both believed it to be true, but they never admitted or embraced their mutual
attraction. They surrendered to social pressures and did what was ethically right.
However, the truth was that they never looked deeply into their feelings or relationship.

In what particular aspect or part of the short story you can relate your life? Explain well.
Even though I am not engaged or married yet, I have realized that I need to stick to what I
have now, unlike Alfredo, who was attracted to Julia at first sight despite having Esperanza as
his future bride. I can see myself in Alfredo, but not all of the time; it's just that when I see
someone who is good for me, I find her attractive, but not to the point of lying to my partner and
hiding any unacceptable behavior.
It is natural for a man to be attracted to someone, but the only thing I am certain of is that if that
attraction leads to attachment, you must quit what you are doing, be happy, and start over.