Dead Stars

By Paz Marquez Benitez

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.
 Critique of the Short Story
Background of the Author
Paz Márquez-Benítez (3 March 1894 – 10 November 1983) was a Filipina short-story writer,
educator and editor.She was born in Lucena City,Quezon.Benitez was among the first generation of
Filipinos trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of
instruction..Her career as a woman educator as well as her contributions as a writer are seen as an
important step within the advancement of woman in professional careers as well as in the development
of Philippine literature.
During her career as a writer, Marquez-Benitez wrote short stories critical of American Imperialism.
She is most known by her short story Dead Stars (1925) in which the two main characters are
displayed as allegories to American imperialism in order to portray the slow decay of Philippine
heritage.Her only other known published work is A Night in the Hills (1925). Even though she had only
two published works her writings would be regarded as the first steps of Philippine literature moving
into the mainstream.[4]
Marquez-Benitez remains as a prominent influence on Philippine literature through not only her
writing but her impact as an educator and editor. Her and her husband's establishment of educational
magazines, schools, and her contributions to the development of creative short story writing courses
within the Philippines is believed to have inspired generations of Filipino writers.

Elements of the Short Story

1. Characters/Characterization
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.

 2. Setting
PLACES : House of Don Julian, House of Judge Del Valle, House of Don Julian in Tanda,
Church of Our Lady of Sorrow, Calle Real, Sta. Cruz particularly in Calle Luz

TIME: Early 1900's and Lenten Season

3. Plot
*Exposition:Alfredo is thinking about the mess he made on his love life upon hearing the conversation
of Carmen and Don Julian about his relationship with Ezperanza. At some point in a trip, he met the
innocent and naïve Julia Salas from whom he fell in love and found what he is lacking.
*Rising Action:After being so much in loved to Esperanza, the feelings had subsided. With Julia he
felt more lively as a calm man as him could be. In the night before Julia’s departure he tried to confess
his feelings but in the end, their relationship had gone no better.
*Climax:The composed Alfredo had an argument with the modest Esperanza about their conflicting
views of what seems to be an immoral act that Calixta did. This thereby lead to Esperanza hinting of
not being the one to go out of her place, of not being the one who tried to sought another.
*Falling Action:The wedding happened, thus, he chose not to break his word and avoid social
humiliation. A few years later, his job called for him to go to the town where Julia, who is still
unmarried, lives.
*Resolution:During all his years of married life he had come to a closure after meeting Julia once
again. He realized that the answers to his ‘what-if’ questions hardly interest him anymore; he
understood that he had been looking up into a dead star all along.
4.Conflicts: Man vs Circumstances,Man vs Society,Man vs Himself
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. The story
is basically a compilation of the complicated circumstances that every man has to go through in
life.
Man vs. Society
In the story, Alfredo struggles against the society because he was afraid to the reaction
of the people around him especially during the time of the story. People oftentimes give high
regard to the society in which they belong. They try to adhere to the norms, traditions and
culture of their society, though sometimes the conformity would require them to sacrifice a part
of themselves – an opinion, an emotion or a decision.
Man vs. Himself
In the story, Alfredo was uncertain and confused by his decisions. He was torn between
doing what is right and what is in his heart.
5.Theme
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.

Literary Criticism
 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.

The short story also illustrates the rising conjunction of sociopolitical feminism. In this story,
women are represented as meek and dependent on men. Men are considered to be superior to
women. Women are faithful who easily falls in love while the male is shown as uncertain,
inconsistent and rational. However, the story also ruined the concept of patriarchal society as it
sees the man rational and logical while woman as emotional and kind.

Symbolism

 Dead Star- symbolizes Alfredo’s dream of romance with Julia. He thought there was love,
but it was just like a star whose shine could actually be the leftover traveling light.

 Esperanza-symbolizes hope and devotion, and being manipulated by the regenerative virtue
of society.

Alfredo-symbolizes the confusion and flaws of human.