Critical Approaches in Writing A Critique SY 2022 23 Module 4

Critical Approaches in
Writing a Critique
English for Academic and Professional Purposes
Dead Stars
Paz Marquez Benitez
The title of the work already gives an idea as to what it
means. In physics, it is stated that the light and energy of
the stars have to travel light years to reach us. Since they
are million miles away and light has to travel this large
distance, it is highly possible that the star has already
exploded while its light is still travelling towards us.
Therefore it is possible that a bright light that we see at
night actually comes from a dead star.
SLCR_11.23.20_EAPP M4
In the story, this metaphor is used to refer to Alfredo’s love for Julia, a
woman he meets and falls for one fateful summer. Not only is the
title an indicator of what is to come, even the fate of the characters
in story can already be seen through their names. Alfredo’s name
means counselor of elves in Spanish and suggests someone who is
wise. In the story, it is indicated that Alfredo is a lawyer, a person
who counsels. Still his name denotes a certain irony; despite his
supposed wisdom, Alfredo’s actions, especially his covert courtship
with Julia while being engaged to another, are anything but sensible.
Julia’s name on the other hand, refers to someone who is youthful,
which is how Alfredo sees her for eight years until he is confronted by
reality.
Formalism
Formalism claims that literary works contain
intrinsic properties and treats each work as a
distinct work of art. In short, it posits that the key
to understanding a text is through the text itself;
the historical context, the author, or any other
external contexts are not necessary in interpreting
the meaning.
Following are the common aspects looked
into Formalism:
Author’s technique in resolving contradictions within
work
Central passage that sums up the entirety of the work
Contributions of parts and the work as a whole to its
aesthetic quality
Contribution of rhymes and rhythms to the meaning or
effect of the work
Relationship of the form and the content
Use of imagery
To develop the symbols used in the work
Interconnectedness of various parts of the work
Paradox, ambiguity, and irony in the work
Unity in the work
Feminism
The story is a study of power imbalance brought
about by gender. In the beginning Dead Stars already
clearly illustrates the gender roles ingrained in Filipino
society: Don Julian and the judge are portrayed as the
male leaders of the household, taking up lofty
professions such as business and law while the
women are portrayed accomplishing domestic tasks
such as tending to the children and preparing food.
The most note-worthy display of imbalance in
power, however, lies in the central theme of Alfredo’s
love for Julia as simply as a dead star. Eight years after
their forbidden love and after getting married to
another woman, Alfredo still holds Julia as an object
of affection, thus creating a distance between him and
his wife, Esperanza. In their relationship as a wedded
couple, the power lies in Alfredo, not only because
patriarchal society designates him as the head of the
Household, but also because he remains unreachable
to his wife while harboring feelings for another
woman. Moreover, that the realization for his love for
Julia is simply a dead star is brought about by his
treatment of Julia as simply an illusion and an object
of affection, and not as a woman. This gender
imbalance leads to a tragic epiphany for the
characters, but is also a reflection of how men are
viewed to dominate not only in the household but
also in their relationship with women.
Feminist Criticism
Feminist Criticism or feminism focuses on
how literature presents women as subjects of
socio-political, psychological and economic
oppression. It also reveals how aspects of our
culture are patriarchal, i.e., how our culture
views men as superior and women as inferior.
The common aspects looked into when using
feminism are as follows:
How culture determines gender
How gender equality (or the lack of it) is presented in the text
How gender issues are presented in the literary works and
other aspects of human production and daily life
How women are socially, politically, psychologically, and
economically oppressed by patriarchy
How patriarchal ideology is an overwhelming presence.
Reader Response
Despite being limited in length, Dead Stars
manages to evoke various feelings which ultimately
build up the ending. While Alfredo is the center of the
story, as a woman reader it is hard not to feel greatly
for Esperanza. Esperanza can only be seen through the
perspective of Alfredo. This does a disservice to her, as
we can only know her through the description of
someone who does not love her anymore.
Still, it is only through Alfredo’s descriptions and his
unfaithfulness that Esperanza gains sympathy from the
reader. During all the moments when Alfredo and Julia are
together, the thought of Esperanza looms in the
background – does she know? How will she react? What
will happen now? The sympathy only increases when they
get married, for it is clear that Alfredo is detached from
her and is still harboring feelings for Julia. While the end
certainly evokes a feeling of loss at Alfredo’s epiphany, it is
the feeling of betrayal for Esperanza that stays.
Reader Response Criticism
Reader Response Criticism is concerned with the
reviewer’s reaction as an audience of a work. This
approach claims that the reader’s role cannot be
separated from the understanding of the work; a text
does not have meaning until the reader reads it and
interprets it. Readers are therefore not passive and
distant, but are active consumers of the material
presented to them.
reader response criticism are as follows:
Interaction between the reader and the text in
creating meaning
The impact of reader’s delivery of sounds and
visuals on enhancing and changing meaning
Marxist
The imbalanced societal power play is evident in the
short story in the form of the treatment of characters
based on their class. This is most easily evident in the
conversation between Alfredo and his fiancée, Esperanza,
about Calixta, their note-carrier who grew up in the
latter’s family. The scene depicts a parallelism in the
circumstances of Alfredo and his new love Julia, and
Calixta and her live-in partner.
However, while no one blatantly frowns about the
budding relationship between Alfredo and Julia, except for
some whispered rumors that reach Esperanza, Calixta is
dubbed “ungrateful” to her master for doing such an act.
Alfredo does not have to answer anyone for his
unfaithfulness, but Calixta is responsible not only for what
her family might think, but also for the member’s of her
master’s family. Despite the same circumstances, the two
people are regarded differently based on their positions in
life.
Marxist Criticism
Marxist criticism is concerned with differences
between economic classes and implications of a
capitalist system, such as the continuing conflicts
between the working class and the elite. Hence, it
attempts to reveal that the ultimate source of
people’s experience is the socioeconomic system.
Marxist criticism are as follows:
Social class presented in the work
Social class of the writer / creator
Social class of the characters
Conflicts and interactions between social classes

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