Paz Marquez Benitez, an educator, editor, and brilliant writer noted for her

literary works, has written a short tale called Dead Stars. She is also mentioned in
relation to women's development in these disciplines. "Dead stars," which she published
in the Philippine Herald in 1925, is widely regarded as the first successful Philippine
short tale. This isn't just a narrative; it's a depiction of how Philippine stories came to be
and rose to the top. And we all know that classics are always legendary, and old short
stories are always at the top.
Alfredo Salazar, Esperanza Salazar, and Julia Salas were the main protagonists
in the narrative. What I admire about it is that each person's name represents a different
person in our society. Alfredo Salazar, a 30-year-old lawyer, represents men's diverse
masculinity. A man who develops both common and uncommon characteristics. Alfredo
Salazar portrays a common man in society who wants love and finds it exciting. Alfredo
believes in real love but is eventually duped by it. He became involved in several
elements such as cheating, lust, obsession, and many more as a result of his seemingly
continuous search for his desired love.
Alfredo is also terrified of society's prospective judgment; therefore, he practices
ethics and moral components to keep his bad thoughts from manifesting. Esperanza,
Alfredo's wife, is the next character. She is a symbol of the society's strong women.
Strong, feisty, principle-driven, and detached. Most women in our society are
discriminated against due to sexism, which places them on a lower level than males
since society believes men have the highest honors, which is not acceptable. In the tale,
this background is observed and noted. Julia Salas is the final figure, and she
represents society's brightest star.
Alfredo and Esperanza, his first love, are the subject of this short narrative. They
were engaged, and Esperanza became Alfredo's fiancee. However, they, like all other
relationships, were marred by misconceptions and difficulties, particularly in Alfredo's
case. Julia Salas, Alfredo's living fantasy girl, was introduced to him. When he met Julia,
he gradually let go of Esperanza's affections. Alfredo was captivated by Julia's evident
allure, and he grew intensely interested in her. But as the days went, he realized Julia
would soon leave her and return to her hometown. Alfredo acknowledged her affections
for Julia with strength in words.
Alfredo kept his connection with Julia for a while because he was terrified of
society's judgment as well as his parents' wrath and disappointment, so he continued to
marry Esperanza because he believed it was the correct thing to do. They reunited
again after a few days, but this time Julia knew about their wedding with Esperanza and
congratulated him before leaving Alfredo. After eight years, Alfredo was finally reunited
with Julia. He is enthusiastic from the start, but after seeing her, he realizes that he is no
longer attracted to her. That they are now uninterested in one other. Alfredo married
Julia's wife, Esperanza, and Julia remained unmarried for the rest of her life.
The short narrative explores the deeper meanings of love. What is the genuine
definition of love, and what aspects should we consider while starting a relationship?
The narrative emphasizes the significance of dedication, loyalty, honesty, and
faithfulness. They are critical for everyone to find the love they desire. In addition, the
short narrative demonstrates the presence of infatuation and how it differs from love.
Furthermore, complications such as dishonesty, cheating, and others are depicted. The
narrative not only teaches us about the essence of love, but also about the struggle
between society and people, and how our culture has impacted our lives.
The way we think about society and how we accept its norms, regulations, and
beliefs. Society has its own form of judgment, and this may bring a lot of things to us,
therefore the best thing we can do is have more connections in society. In addition, the
narrative illustrates sexism and how women are still seen in our culture today. The
narrative demonstrates why gender taboos and concerns are developing prejudice, and
why we, as citizens, must take action to address it. Overall, I think this short tale is
worth reading, and it received my approval.