Introduction:

“Dead Stars’’, a short story written by Paz Marquez Benitez deals with forbidden love. It
featured man as weak, inclined to commit frailties and constantly changing.

I. Description

“Dead Stars”, according to Leopoldo Y. Yabes, “has a quite beauty which cannot be denied even by the
most discriminating” The story is quite long and it takes hard time to read and understand and feel the
meaning of the story, It has an excellent use or figurative language combined with a touching message
that can arouse the sympathy of its readers. The author served as the story teller in the story which is in
the third person point of view. At the start, the story goes in an easy pace, but as you go through the
pages, the sad tone was expressed from the beginning till the end. The love triangle featured Alfredo
Salazar, Julia Salas and Esperanza. Alfredo was faced in the dilemma between whom he love and whom
he should marry. It also talks about how easy a man fell in love after a short time and how easy it is for
him to fell out of love, too. Alfredo, in the story shows sacrifice in giving up his love for Julia Salas to
marry Esperanza, because of worrying on what the conservative society might say. The author
ingeniously gave an unexpected twist in the last part of the story wherein Alfredo and Julia meet again
after 8 years but; like dead stars which light seems real from the distant but at close, its light is long-
dead, the love between them already faded. That was indeed a never happy ending but at last we can
hope for a positive change in the relationship of Alfredo Salazar and Esperanza. I believe the author
shows a common scenario of lovers who are victims of love, of fast changing emotions, regrets and
fidelity. I agree that this often happened since emotion is the greatest frailty of man and he is inclined to
change. However, I think decisions, especially in love, have to pass through first in several contemplation
and should not be hurried or else regrets will always be in the end.

Part II

Dead star is one of those extraordinary love stories I knew. Love and heartaches are two
different things but always come together.

Part III

I felt very much sad for Alfredo. Years already had passed after she was married to Esperanza, 8
years had already passed after he and Julia Salas had parted ways, and yet his mind is still haunted by his
impossible dream - his heart is still yearning for Julia’s love. It was clearly spoken in the lines, “He had
long realized that he could not forget Julia Salas.” He is living with lonesomeness and regrets. I wonder
how Alfredo forbear his difficult situation. I remember when someone told me that the 'greatest
weakness of man' is his emotion. Here, I can feel the bitterness of Alfredo a man who’s convincing
himself that all is alright, but deep within him, the silent flow of sadness creeps. “He had tried to be
content and not to remember too much; for where remembrance is too painful and futile, one would
prefer to forget.”
I was surprised when the author said that “he was not unhappy in his marriage”. How could a man be
still calm after losing his love! Many ill-fated love affairs usually left one or both sides in misery.
Moreover, in the latter part, Alfredo was wondering, “How would life seem now if he had married Julia
Salas? … That unforgettable red-and-gold afternoon in early April haunted him with a sense of
incompleteness as restless as other unlaid ghosts…” He is enveloped with regrets and several “What
if’s…” Therefore, I think Alfredo is unhappy in his life at that moment. Indeed, the saying is true, “Love
can turn the world upside down.” I felt sorry for him for he could not get rid the thoughts of her.

However, as a woman, I also sympathize with Esperanza. I guess she is a victim in the story. I can’t figure
out if she is a martyr, or she merely doesn’t care about what’s happening or maybe she was just blinding
herself because of her love for Alfredo. I was quite disappointed with Alfredo for his selfishness. I agree
that the three of them were all victims of love, however there’s no room for his indifference and regrets.
Mistakes were all done. And being completely detached with people around him, especially Esperanza
would even make him and those people sadder. It would not make any difference. “…he saw things and
people around him as remote and alien, as incidents that did not matter. At such times did Esperanza
feel baffled and helpless; he was gentle, even tender, but immeasurably far away, beyond her reach.” I
felt pity for Esperanza- who exemplifies a loving woman holding on to a one-sided love. If I were in her
situation, I would not risk my future for a man whose love for me faded, in the very first place. It is hard
to bind couple without love. Alfredo made me think of a man who was reaping the bitter fruit of his
cowardice. On Alfredo’s way to the president’s house, (which town was near the house of Julia Salas)
the setting was described as “Lights were springing into life on the shore.” But to my astonishment, the
ending of the story turned out to be different with my expectations. I was expecting that Julia might be
married already or the two would be reunited, yet I was wrong. This is, honestly, the part I like best. As
Leopoldo Y. Yabes has said this story has a “…quite beauty which cannot be denied even by the most
discriminating.” The author ingeniously ended it with a bittersweet discernment. To his surprise Alfredo
wonders “what had she lost? Or the lost his?” This line made me think of men who are easy to fell in
love but also easy to ‘Fell out’ of love. “So that wall all over… so all these years…-he had been seeing the
light of dead stars, long extinguished, yet seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens.” This
part could almost make me cry. How could love vanish instantly in just one last sight? Alfredo, during
those 8 years, had been indifferent to Esperanza-he had been so unfair to her-and he had been too cruel
to himself too, of isolating himself from other people to live in solace- and Julia, who did not married at
all made her life somehow sad also. And all are because of ‘dead stars’!

Alfredo and Julia (and we, readers) were disillusioned by the love between them which we thought at
first as ‘real, bright stars’ but as time goes by, they fade their light- a love that doesn’t exist anymore.
Humans are quite distant with stars. Stars emit light (as young love do) but due to a long distance to
travel (which is time) we are being deceived by the light emitted by stars, long dead - seems real but at
close, its brightness no longer exists.

This story is timeless since readers can see their part from the characters mentioned. Others might see
themselves as Alfredo while some in the part of Julia Salas or Esperanza. Moreover, this story talks
about forbidden love. In our society, fidelity is not an uncommon issue since love is innate to man and
change can happen anytime. I realized how weak a man can be in the face of love. But sometimes
sacrifice is necessary in choosing what you want and what you should do, for one has no choice but to
take account on what a conservative society might say. I also want to point out Alfredo’s character. At
first, he was so decisive- so hurried in winning Esperanza’s love, but after years of engagement, he fell
out of love for her because of few days “neighboring”. He fell in love with Julia Salas very fast too, and
yet after years, the same happened. I can compare him to a twinkling light which brightens but later
fades. I think men should think a hundred times first and weigh carefully the weight of his heart and
mind to break the saying, “Regrets are always in the end.”

Introduction:

The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by O’ Henry that deals with the value of giving---the
wisest gifts are the ones who were wholeheartedly given.

I. Description

The Gift of the Magi is all about giving the most precious thing you could ever give to a
person to make him/her happy even you sacrificed something of worth because for you seeing
that person happy is more important than any value. I am really touched by the fact that the
couple know each other very well for they gave the best gifts they could to make their better
half happy. “Jim, dear,” she cried, “don’t look at me like that. I had my hair cut off and sold it. I
couldn’t live through Christmas without giving you a gift.” In this line Della showed how much he
loves Jim. She sold her hair which she considered as something to be proud of. Jim did the same
thing as Della, he sold his watch to buy the comb Della loved for a long time which is proven in this
line, ”I sold the watch to get the money to buy the combs.” I salute them for doing that thing, not
all people can sacrifice their own happiness to make others happy. It’s purely selfless! I remember
the time when my friends and I saw two children searching bottles in the garbage can and asked the
owner of the store if they have bottles, I felt pity for them. Children should go to school, have a
proper education, eat three times a day they should not work in an early age but the fact that
poverty can let this thing become possible is in my mind. We asked the owner of the store if those
children always asked her for bottles and she said yes, “they go to school but needs to be absent to
help their parents” she added. My friends said that we should give them money but I didn’t agree
instead we should give them food I told them, they need it the most rather than money and we are
not sure if they will use that money to buy food. We bought bread and juice for the children and
they thanked us. When I was about to go home I saw that I don’t have enough money to pay the
jeepney fare so I asked my friend to lend me money. I used the money to help the children but I
didn’t regret helping them. It’s nice to help people; the smiles are enough to make you feel better.
The Gift of the Magi touched my heart and my soul. Going back to the story I felt very sad for Della
for she only have $1.87 to buy Jim a gift because the next day would be Christmas. I think she badly
needed it which is proven in the line, “there was nothing to do but fall on the bed and cry, Della did
it.” That was all she had for she tried to save money but there were some things she have to pay
for, like meat and other food and furnished rooms that costs $8 a week. I, myself had experienced
like what Della had experienced – lack of money just to buy someone important/worth having a gift.
This short story makes me feel hopeful though we are living in a quite materialistic world where,
according to many happiness can be bought by money and time swifts fastly, the spirit of Christmas
is still felt by some who really want to show their love for others and who wants others to be happy
at the expense of their precious belongings. This story is an eye opener to everyone that anyone
who give gifts with all their hearts are the Magi and giving gifts should not be on Christmas day only
but also every day.

The Gift of the Magi is a short story written by O’ Henry that deals with the value of giving---the wisest
gifts are the ones who were wholeheartedly given. It is about giving the most precious thing you could
ever give to a person to make him/her happy even you sacrificed something of worth because for you
seeing that person happy is more important than any value.