An analysis of the short story Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez

3. A Story of “WhatIf” inPaz Marquez Benitez’s
“DeadStars”
Rey-an M.Adriosula
IV-Achievers

4. The moral/intellectual critical approach is concerned with
content and values. The approach is as old as literature itself, for
literature is a traditional mode of imparting morality, philosophy,
and religion. The concern in moral/intellectual criticism is not only
to discover meaning but also to determine whether works of
literature are both trueand significant.
I. Context
A. Moral/Philosophicaland Intellectual

5. Paz Marquez-Benitezwas a Filipina short-story writerborn in
Lucena City, Quezon. She authored the first Filipino modern English
language story, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in
1925.
II. Background
The Author

6. >Alfredo Salazar – son of Don Julian; engaged to Esperanza
but is still fleetingtoJuliaSalas
>Esperanza – literal-minded and intensely acquisitive; one of
those fortunate women who have the gift of uniformly beauty;
engagedto Alfredo Salazar
>Julia Salas – sister-in-law of Judge Del Valle; the other girl of
Alfredo Salazar thatremainssinglein her entirelife
III. The Story
Characters:

7. >Don Julian– fatherof Alfredo Salazar and Carmen
>Carmen– sister of Alfredo Salazar
>Judge Del Valle – brother-in-lawof Julia Salas
>Donna Adella – sister of Julia Salas; small and plump, a
pretty woman with a complexion of a baby with an expression of a
likeable cow
>Calixta– note-carrierof Alfredo Salazar and Esperanza
III. The Story
Characters:

8. >Dionisio– husbandof DonnaAdella
>Vicente – husbandof Carmen
>Brigida Samuy – illusive woman whom Alfredo is looking
for
III. The Story
Characters:

9. Introduction
III. The Story
Plot
At Don Julian’s house, Carmen was asking Don Julian
about Alfredo and Esperanza. Alfredo reminisced how he met
Julia Salas.

10. RisingAction
III. The Story
Plot
Alfredo 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 him to
embarrassment afterwards. Coming to the Judge’s house
became often. Then he realized he was in love with Julia
despite his engagementwithEsperanza.

11. Climax
III. The Story
Plot
After the procession for The Lady of Sorrows, Alfredo
caught up with Julia. It was when Julia found out about
Alfredo’s wedding so she congratulated him. Alfredo needs to
make a very difficult situation. Would he choose what he
WANTS to? Or wouldhechoose whatheHAS to?

12. FallingAction
III. The Story
Plot
Julia wants Alfredo to honor his understanding with
Esperanza so she said goodbye. Alfredo went home to
Esperanza. And there,thelast word has been said.

13. Denouement
III. The Story
Plot
Alfredo and Esperanza got married. After eight years,
he went to Sta. Cruz, Julia’s hometown, to search for a lady
named Brigida Samuy who is important for his defense in the
court. 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.

14. Alfredo Salazar was betrothed to Esperanza, his girlfriend for
four years. The start of their relationship was relatively “warm”, with
Alfredo wooing Esperanza like a man in dire lovesickness. But as the
years went by, the warm love’s fire slowly flickered and it was
because of JuliaSalas.
III. The Story
Synopsis

15. She was charming and gleeful. Alfredo shared moments of
light with her but sometimes deep conversations when he visits
Julia’s brother-in-law, who was a judge. He always went there with
his father and since it was his father who needed to talk to the judge,
he was always left to Julia’s company. He never told her he was
engaged. At first he didn’t notice that a change in his heart was
takingform.
III. The Story
Synopsis

16. But then he started keeping details of his activities to his
fiancée and then the guilty feeling crept in. When he found out that
Julia was about to head back to her distant hometown, he felt blue
and frightened.
III. The Story
Synopsis

17. He met her in the church after the Holy Thursday procession,
although he knew that Esperanza was already waiting for him. He
approached her and she conversed with him with an expression that
told him she finally knew. She congratulated him and said she will
be at his wedding. Thenthey parted.
III. The Story
Synopsis

18. When he visited Esperanza in her house, he overheard her
talking to another woman about infidelity and immorality, to which
he reasoned in favor of the condemned. The statement caused an
intense fury to Esperanza and she told him that she knew. She dared
Alfredo to abandon her, along with morality and reason and her
dignity as a woman as well as her image before the society all for the
sake of his“beingfairtohimself”.
III. The Story
Synopsis

19. Eventually the wedding took place. And after several years,
Alfredo was sent to a distant village due to a legal assignment. It
bothered him so much because it was near Julia’s hometown. But he
still found himself making his way to her house. And there, he found
her, just as how and where he expected her to be. She never
married. And he wondered how life would be if he ended up being
withher.
III. The Story
Synopsis

20. But all was too late and he could never bring things back. He
also noticed that Julia lost something, albeit the fact that he didn’t
know what that is – youth, love, luster? And when he looked at her
hedoubtedif sheever caredfor him,if hehas mistaken the past light
in her eyes as manifestations of a possible romance. But now they’re
allgone and so it was indeedall done.
III. The Story
Synopsis

21. >Don Julian’s house
>Judge Del Valle’s house
>Don Julian’s housein Tanda
>Calle Real
>Sta.Cruz
III. The Story
Setting

22. The short story "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez Benitez is
conveying the theme that pertains to forbidden love. It says that
forbidden love is only apparent, and its banes haunt the person until
such timethatherealizes hisfaults.
III. The Story
Theme

23. Carmen sighed impatiently. "Why he is not a bit more
decided, I wonder. He is over thirty, is he not? And still a bachelor!
Esperanza mustbe tiredwaiting."
"She does not seem to be in much of a hurry either," Don
Julian nasally commented, while his rose scissors busily snipped
away.
IV. Analysis
*Pointof View: Third Person Omniscient
Evidences:

24. "A last spurt of hot blood," finishedtheold man.
He and Julia Salas stood looking out into the quiet night.
Sensing unwanted intensity, laughed, woman-like, asking,
"Amusement?"
IV. Analysis
*Pointof View: Third Person Omniscient
Evidences:

25. Carmen sighed impatiently. "Why is he not a bit more
decided, I wonder. He is over thirty, is he not? And still a bachelor!
Esperanza mustbe tiredwaiting."
"How can a woman be in a hurry when the man does not
hurry her?" Carmen returned, pinching off a worm with a careful,
somewhatabsent air.
IV. Analysis
*Approach: Moral/PhilosophicalandIntellectualApproach
Evidences:

26. At last Our Lady of Sorrows entered the church, and with her
the priest and the choir, whose voices now echoed from the arched
ceiling. Thebells rang theclose of theprocession.
IV. Analysis
*Approach: Moral/PhilosophicalandIntellectualApproach
Evidences:

27. Alfredo was suffering as he could not remember ever having
suffered before. What people will say--what will they not say? What
don't they say when long engagements are broken almost on the
eve of the wedding?
IV. Analysis
*Approach: Moral/PhilosophicalandIntellectualApproach
Evidences:

28. "Julita," he said in his slow, thoughtful manner, "did you ever
have to choose between something you wanted to do and
somethingyou had todo?"
IV. Analysis
*Conflict:Man vs. Circumstances
Evidences:

29. Thank You!!
Thank You!!