Dead Stars

by: Paz Marquez Benitez

About the Author
 Paz Marquez Benitez
• Born in 1894 in Lucena, Tayabas
(now Quezon).
• Marquez – Benítez authored the
first Filipino modern English
language short story, Dead Stars,
published in the Philippine
Herald in 1925.
 Paz Marquez Benitez
• Born into the prominent
Marquez family of Quezon
province, she was among the
first generation of Filipino
people trained in the
American education system
which used English as the
medium of instruction.
 Paz Marquez Benitez
• 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.
 Character
A character is a person, or sometimes even
an animal, who takes part in the action of a
short story or other literary work.
 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.
 Characters
➢ 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.
 Characters
➢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.
 Setting
The setting of a short story is the time and place
in which it happens. Authors often use
descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings,
seasons or weather to provide a strong sense of
setting.
 Setting: Places
➢House of Don Julian
➢House of Judge Del Valle
➢House of Don Julian in Tanda
➢Church of Our Lady of Sorrow
➢Calle Real
➢Sta. Cruz particularly in Calle Luz
 Setting: Time
➢Early 1990’s
➢Lenten Season
 Plot
A plot is a series of events and character
actions that relate to the central conflict.
 Introduction
At Don Julian's house Carmen was
asking Do Julian about Alfredo
and Esperanza. Alfredo
reminiscence how we met Julia
Salas.
 Rising Action
He had gone neighboring with Don
Julian to judge Del Valle’s house. He met
Julia Salas. All the time he was calling
her Mrs. Del Valle which led to him to
embarrassment. Coming to the judge’s
house became often. Then he realized
he was in love with Julia in spite his
engagement Esperanza.
 Climax
After the procession of The Lady of
Sorrows Alfredo caught up with Julia. It
was when Julia found out about
Alfredo's 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 didn't 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.
 Denouement
Alfredo and Esperanza get 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, Julia’s hometown. He went to
Julia's 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.
 Conflict
The conflict is a struggle between two people or
things in a short story. The main character is
usually on one side of the central conflict.
 Conflict
Man vs. Circumstances
➢In the story, Alfredo struggles against
his fate and the circumstances of life &
love facing him. He needs to face
problems in choosing between
difficult choices of his life.
 Theme
The theme is the central idea or belief in a
short story.
 Theme
The short story conveys the theme
that pertains to forbidden love.
It says that forbidden love is only
apparent, and its banes haunt the
person until such time that he realizes
his faults.
 Symbolism
The idea that things represent other things.
 Symbolism
Dead Stars
➢ symbolize a dream for something that is
nonexistent.
➢ She was his dream, his star. He thought he's in
love. But like a dead star which is so far away,
and whose shine could be the leftover traveling
light from it, he was a long way getting the girl
and he realized that he is no longer is attracted
to her.
 Point of View
The point of view of a story determines who
is telling it and the narrator's relationship to
the characters in the story.
 Point of View
Third Person POV
The author tells the story in third person (using
pronouns they, she, he, it, etc.). We know only
what the character knows and what the author
allows him/her o tell us. We can see the
thoughts & feelings of characters if the author
chooses to reveal them to us.
 Synopsis
A synopsis is a brief summary that gives
audiences an idea of what a composition is
about.
This story revolves around Alfredo Salazar & two women:
Esperanza, his fiancée for four years and a young girl from
out-of-town named Julia Salas. Alfredo is committed to
marrying Esperenza. But he started having second thoughts
about his feelings when he met Julia in the Judges' house.
But he aware that all his loved ones-including Julia would
not agree if he would not honor his understanding with
Esperanza. So he and Esperanza got married and made a
family. After 8 years, he met Julia. And then realized that his
feelings for Julia was gone. He compares his love for Julia
with a ‘Dead Star’. This story is about Love & Responsibilities