Dead Stars
By: Paz Marquez- Benitez
The Author
was born in 1894 in Lucena City,
Quezon to the prominent Marquez family.
• One of the students who learned under American Education, she
wrote the first Filipino modern short story in English. This
achievement put her and her story as one of the best writers and
best Filipino short stories.
• Paz went to the Tayabas High School (now Quezon National High
School) and proceeded for college in the University of the
Philippines, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912.
She then married UP College of Education dean, Dean Francisco
Benitez, two years after her graduation. She had two children.
• She then became a teacher in the same university, teaching short
story writing. She is an influential figure to some Filipino writers,
such as Loreto Paras-Sulit, Paz M. Latorena, Arturo Belleza
Rotor, Bienvenido N. Santos and Francisco Arcellana.
• She wrote one more story, entitled "A Night in the Hills".
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. She is the
other girl of Alfredo Salazar that remains single in her
entire life.
• Don Julian - an old man, a father of Alfredo Salazar and
Carmen.
• Carmen - sister of Alfredo Salas.
• 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.
• Dionisio - husband of Donna Adella.
• Vicente - husband of Carmen.
• Brigida Samuy - She is the illusive woman whose
Alfredo is looking for.
Dead Stars
Meet Alfredo, a man in
his 30’s and a Bachelor
who is engaged to a
fine woman name
Esperanza.
But what if..................
Carmen: Papa, and
when will the ‘long table’
be set?
Don Julian: “ I dont know yet.
Alfredo is not very specific, But I
understand Esperanza wants it
to be next month.”
(Sigh...)
Carmen: “ Why is he not a bit
more decided, I wonder. He is
over thirty, is he not? And still a
bachelor! Esperanza must be
tired waiting.”
Don Julian: “ She does not
seem to be in much of a
hurry either,”
Carmen: “ How can a woman
be in a hurry when the man
does not hurry her? “
Carmen: Papa, do you
remember how much in
love he was? “
Don Julian: “ In love? With
whom?”
Carmen: “With Esperanza,
of course. He has not had
another love affair that I
know of.”
Everyone takes it for granted
that he will eventually marry
Esperanza, but what if he met
another woman and
unknowingly felt something
different....
House of Judge Del Valle
Judge Del Valle:
Don Julian and Alfredo
welcome to my home.
Don Julian:
Thanks, its our pleasure.
How are you Judge Del
Valle?
Alfredo: Hi, Ms.
Del Valle..
Julia Salas:
..................?
I’m puzzled, she
should have smile with
evident delight
everytime I addressed
her thus but why she
wasn’t.
Don Julian: Alfredo
she was not the
Judge’s sister, as he
had supposed, but
his sister- in- law,
and her name was
Julia Salas.
Alfredo: So.. You’re
Julia.. My apology... I
thought you we’re the
Judge’s sister.
Julia: “That is nothing, each
time I was about to correct
you, but I remember a similar
experience I had once
before.”
What if he found himself falling
in-love with some other girl?
While ‘The Wedding’ seems to
be inevitable?
After the Sunday’s mass, Esperanza
was waiting intensely at the church for
Alfredo to get her. But no sign of him
has come.
Esperanza:
Alfredo, do you
went straight
home after
mass?
Suddenly
realized that for
several Sundays
now he had not
waited for
Esperanza to
come out of the
church.. As he
had been won’t
to do. He had
been eager to go
“neighbouring.”
Alfredo: Yes, I went
home to work.. And
‘sometimes I go with
Papa to Judge del
Valle’s.’
“That half-lie told him
what he had not
admitted openly to
himself.. That he was
giving Julia Salas
something which he
was not free to give.
He realized that; yet
something that would
not be denied
beckoned
imperiously, and yet
he followed on.”
Will it leads him to eventually
lose his intensity of passion for
his bride to be?
Alfredo: “ I hope
you are enjoying
this.”
Julia: “Very much. It looks like
home to me. Except that we
do not have such a lovely
beach.The afternoon has
seemed very short, hasn’t it?”
Then….
“This, I think, is the
last time—we can
visit.”
Alfredo: “The last? Why?”
“Oh, you will be too busy
perhaps.”
Julia: “Im going
home, tomorrow.”
Alfredo: (sad) “Why?....”
How will he managed
to choose between
Love and Obligation?
Alfredo: “ I had
been thinking all
this time that you
had gone..”
He said in a
voice that
was both
excited and
troubled.
The next week…
Julia: “ No, my
sister asked me to
stay until they are
ready to go.”
Alfredo: “Oh,
is the Judge
going?”
Julia:
Yes.
“Mr. Salazar, I wish
to congratulate
you.”
Alfredo: “For
what?”
“ For your approaching
wedding. I should have
offered congratulations
long before, but you
know mere visitors are
slow about getting the
news.”
Julia: Good-bye
Mr. Salazar. All
the moments that
we are together
will stay forever in
my heart.
Will True Love weigh more ,his
dream. The Dead Star in his life.
More than the Moral Obligation
of Regenerative Virtue of
Institution.
Even if Alfredo is not sure about
his wedding with Esperanza. He
have nothing to do about it.
Ten years later, Alfredo became
a prominent Lawyer like his
father.
Unexpectedly, Julia and
Alfredo’s paths crossed once
again.
For the past ten years,
everything has change even
the special feelings of Alfredo
for Julia.
It is not easy for Julia to stay
away from Alfredo because
she had learn to fall inlove with
him for the past years.
But she thinks of Alfredo’s sake
and respect Esperanza’s
feelings.
Then again, she remains single.
Alfredo’s feelings towards Julia
is like a “Dead Star”, maybe its
not shining anymore but the
memories of them together will
be in his heart FOREVER..
1. Who wrote the first Filipino modern short
story in English and the author of Dead Stars?
2. What school did the author work?
3. Who is Alfredo?
4. What is the relationship of Julia Salas to
Judge Del Valle?
5. Who is Julia Salas?
6. Who is the fiancée of Alfredo?
7. Did Esperanza and Alfredo got married?
8. What is the occupation of Alfredo after 10
years?
9. Who is Carmen?
10. Did Alfredo pursue his love for Julia Salas?
1. Paz Marquez- Benitez
2. University of the Philippines
3. A man on his 30’s and a Bachelor who is
engaged to a fine woman name
Esperanza.
4. Sister-in-Law
5. Sister of Judge Del Valle’s wife
6. Esperanza
7. Yes, they did.
8. A prominent Lawyer
9. Sister of Alfredo
10. No, he didn’t.
Prepared by:
Gallentes, Genvirly P.
Estrada, Jaquilyn V.