DEAD STARS
Paz Marquez Benitez
Author’s Background
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Born in 1894 in Lucena City, Quezon.
First Filipino modern English language short story.
Dead Stars published in the Philippine Herald in 1925
First generation of Filipinos trained in the American education system which used
English as the medium of instruction.
Member of the first freshman class of the University of the Philippines, graduating
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912.
Her work is considered the first modern Philippine short story.
DEAD STARS
The story is about a bachelor and his fiancée whose passion he has lost in, and another
woman who he is attracted to.
Summary
Dead Star is a love story about a man named Alfredo Salazar, who has his fiancé in the
person of Esperanza and they have been engaged for quite some time. Society views
them as an ideal couple. Their wedding id about to take place in the near future. Prior to
the wedding however, he sees another girl, when he goes with his father to a judge’s
house. He tries to seek love in her, but she kind of declines. In that way, Alfredo became
a little bit confused in his upcoming wedding where he is about to choose between two
options; to do what he should do by marrying Esperanza as prescribed by his parents or
to do what he wants to do by having Julia Salas, his dream- the dead star in his life.
Setting
Time: Lenten Season (they are celebrating the Holy Week since there is a procession
made for ‘Our Lady of Sorrow’)
Place: Sta. Cruz particularly in Calle Luz, hometown of Julia Salas, Calle Real, Church of
Our Lady of Sorrow, house of Don Julian and Judge Del Valle.
Theme
Game of love
Point of View
Third Person
Symbolism
Dead Stars symbolize a dream for something that is nonexistent. The guy fell in love with
a girl. She was his dream, his star.
The love of the guy for the girl is like a dead star, whose glow is still visible from the earth
for years after they are gone.
Dead star symbolize a dream for something that is nonexistent. The guy loved the girl.
She was his dream, his star. He thought there was love there. But like a dead star which
is so far away, and whose shine could actually be the leftover travelling light from it, he
was a long way from getting the girl, and the love he thought was possible, never was.
The Plot
The plot if the story “Dead Star” revolves around the romantic relationships between the
three main characters: Alfredo, Esperanza and Julia.
Conflict
The conflict is external because it shows man vs. circumstance. Alfredo struggles to face
his problems in choosing between difficult choices of his life (his engagement with
Esperanza and his love for Julia Salas). The conflict was resolved by Alfredo’s decision
to finally marry Esperanza and let go of Julia Salas.