Paz Marquez-Benitez

Born on March 03, 1894 in Lucena City, Quezon She was the second child among twelve children, with which five are boys and seven girls. Benitez was among the first generation of Filipinos trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of instruction. She graduated high school in Tayabas High School now, Quezon National High School She was a member of the first freshman class of the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. Two years after graduation, she married UP College of Education Dean Francisco Bentez with whom she had four children. Paz taught the art of short story writing for thirty-five years in UP from 1916 to 1951. She also taught courses on the plays of Shakespeare.

She became an influential figure to many Filipino writers in the English language , among them, Loreto Paras Sulit, Paz Latorena, Bienvenido Santos, Manuel Arguilla, S.P. Lopez and National Artist Francisco Arcellana. She was a meticulous writer and editor and had written several stories and poems, but published only two short stories: Dead Stars (1925) which was considered as the 1st modern short story written in English by a Filipino and A Night in the Hills (1931). In 1919 she founded "Woman's Home Journal", the 1st women's magazine in the country. She co-founded Philippine Women's University and, together with her sisters, also established St. John's Academy in San Juan, Manila in 1930. "Filipino Love Stories", the 1st anthology of Philippine stories in English by Filipinos, was compiled in 1928 by Marquez-Benitez from the works of her students. When her husband died in 1951, she took over as editor of the Philippine Journal of Education at UP. She held the editorial post for over two decades. She died on November 10, 1983. The annually held Paz Marquez-Benitez Lectures honors her memory by focusing on the contributions of Filipino women writers to Philippine Literature in the English language.

Characters
Alfredo Salazar - son of Don Julian, a more than 30 years old man and a bachelor. He is engaged to Esperanza but him still fleeting to Julia Salas. Esperanza - wife of Alfredo Salazar. She is a homely woman, literal minded and intensely acquisitive. She is one of those fortunate women who have the gift of uniformly beauty. Julia Salas - sister-in-law of Judge Del Valle. Shes the girl who Alfredo Salazar have grown to admire and love. Don Julian - an old man, a father of Alfredo Salazar and Carmen. Carmen - sister of Alfredo. 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 a expression of a likeable cow. Calixta - note-carrier of Alfredo Salazar and Esperanza.

Dead Stars is a story about the indecisiveness of Alfredo Salazar, a man in his thirties who is about to be married to a woman named Esperanza after four years of their being engaged. It begins with Alfredo staring out from the open window, who is being talked about by his father and sister regarding his marriage and his love life. We are told that he was so in love, that "at the beginning he was enthusiastic--flowers, serenades, notes, and things like that--" towards Esperanza. But his sister has observed that something has happened to him, that he was no longer aggressive and perhaps, youthful. Their father then explains that it is normal, that longengaged people are "warm now, cool tomorrow", that Alfredo was having his "last spurt of hot blood".

Julia is quite different from Esperanzaa girl striking and vividly alive, the woman that could cause violent commotion in his heart, yet had no place in the completed ordering of his life." The rare-turned-regular neighboring trips lead Alfredo to deep conversations with Julia and hence, develop an admiration for the woman. Sometimes, he would forget he is engaged, continuing his meetings with Julia while thinking that Esperanza was not prone to indulge in unprovoked jealousies (for) she was a believer in the regenerative virtue of institutions, in their power to regulate feeling as well as conduct. Unfortunately, he also forgets the fact that Esperanza is a woman and, being so is already a risk factor for jealousies, provoked or otherwise.

Julia soon found out about Alfredos upcoming wedding. Though they were inlove with each other, they chose to part ways. Both knew that what they had was against, perhaps, morality, and was subject to the scrutiny and judgement of the society. Alfredo, being an engaged man, should not involve himself with others. Eventually, Alfredo and Esperanzas wedding took place. Over the years, he becomes an impassive husband.
He was not unhappy in his marriage. He felt no rebellion: only the calm of capitulation to what he recognized as irresistible forces of circumstance and of character From his capacity of complete detachment he derived a strange solace At such times did Esperanza feel baffled and hopeless; he was gentle, even tender, but immeasurably far away, beyond reach. Alfredo

Eight years later, he still could not forget Julia. So while on business, he makes a side trip to Julias hometown to check if he had meant anything to her and her to him. Julia has not married. This implies many thingsone of which could be that she is still in love with Alfredo but chooses not to fight for that love because she was taught that the act of giving through selfdenial is a good thing and so she turned from a spirited young woman into a boring one living a boring life after she lost Alfredo to propriety and social order. What did Alfredo find during his meeting with Julia after his marriage? Dead stars.
So that was all over. Why, why hade he obstinately clung to that dream from the weariness of actuality? And now, mere actuality had robbed him of the dream. So all these yearssince when?he had been seeing the light of dead stars, long extinguished, yet seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens. -Alfredo *Dead Stars are those that appear presently to the naked eye on the sky are already dead. They are light years away from us.

The Plot
Introduction. At Don Julians house Carmen was asking Don Julian about Alfredo and Esperanza. Alfredo reminiscence how he met Julia Salas. Rising Action. He had gone neighboring with Don Julian to judge Del Valles house. He met JuliaSalas. All the time he was calling her Mrs. Del Valle which led him to embarrassment.Coming to the judges house became often. Then he realized he was in love with Julia in spite his engagement with Esperanza. Climax. After the procession for The Lady Of Sorrows Alfredo caught up with Julia. It was when Julia found out about Alfredos wedding so he congratulated him. Alfredo needs to make a very difficult situation. Would he choose what he WANTS to? Or would he choose what he HAS to? Falling Action. Julia didnt want Alfredo not to honor his understanding with Esperanza. She said goodbye. He went home to Esperanza. And there, the last word has been said. Conclusion. Alfredo and Esperanza got married. After eight years, he was searching for a lady named Brigida Samuy-a lady important for his defense in the court-in Sta. Cruz,Julias hometown. He went to Julias house and he found her there. Still unmarried. And he realized that his love for Julia was like a Dead Star. It was non existent.

Prepared by: Ma. Clarice D. Deveza Ninfa Mae M. Delgado

References: http://www.nancycudis.com/2012/01/dead-stars-by-paz-marquez-benitez.html http://melonagrace.weebly.com/dead-stars-by-paz-marquez-benitez.html http://sushidog.com/bpss/stories/stars.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paz_M%C3%A1rquez-Ben%C3%ADtez http://wordgasm.com/words/writing/paz-marquez-benitez-the-superwoman-of-philippineliterature