HUMANITIES 1101 (GROUP 6) MINI-PETA 1: ANALYZING SHORT STORIES:

 Title of the Story: Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez

Who is Paz Marquez Benitez?

Paz Márquez Benítez was a visionary. Born to a prominent family in Quezon province, she is one of the
first generations of Filipinos trained under the American educational system. After graduating, she pursued
teaching at her alma mater, the University of the Philippines. She was a beloved and outstanding mentor in the
English department, with a tenure that lasted from 1916 to 1951. Above all, she is a staunch advocate for
women's rights and education.
Dead Stars is one of her most sought-after works. It is the first modern Filipino English-language short
story that helped her make a mark in Philippine literature. It revolves around a man named Alfredo Salazar who
experiences the intricacies of falling in and out of love.

 Link: https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/arts/paz-marquez-benitez

SHORT BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT DEAD STARS (wla ako maisip na magandang title para rito
bahahah)

According to Baudin (2019), Dead stars, is a short story written by Paz Marquez Benitez in
1925. Philippine Modern English Literature was introduced through this story. A story that compiles
everything about complicated circumstances that every man has to go through in life.

It is entitled as Dead Stars because when stars die, their glow diminishes then eventually vanishes,
like the feelings of Alfredo when he touches the hand of Julia when they see each other after a year, he
realizes that the feelings that he had to her were already gone.

Paz Marquez-Benitez did not only write about a love story. It exhibits how one conquers himself by
understanding his true feelings. It also reflects the time in which the literary work was written along with
the language, norms and the way people think. It serves as a literary time machine for readers as it enables
them to understand how courtship, marriage and fidelity were viewed through the early 1900 standards. It
renders a sound comparison between the past and the present, the existing modern culture and the fading,
almost obsolete tradition.

Link: https://chrswll.home.blog/2019/08/29/250/

 Setting:

 Where and when does the story take place? Cite specific details from the text to support
your answer.

 Characters:

 Who are the main characters in the story? How would you describe their personalities and
motivations? Provide examples from the text that illustrate these traits.

 Alfredo Salazar- He is the son of Don Julian, a 30-year-old bachelor. He is engaged to

Esperanza but still had feelings for Julia Salas. Alfredo Salazar symbolizes men's greed and
indecision when it comes to dealing with emotional concerns. He had given in to the pull of
an anonymous sensation. He was anonymous because he never attempted to understand it,
 yet he clung to it regardless. In the process, he lost a piece of himself and deprived
Esperanza the same thing.

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 must be tired waiting."

“Why would men so mismanage their lives? Greed, he thought, was what ruined so many. Greed--the desire to
crowd into a moment all the enjoyment it will hold, to squeeze from the hour all the emotion it will yield. Men
commit themselves when but half-meaning to do so, sacrificing possible future fullness of ecstasy to the craving for
immediate excitement. Greed--mortgaging the future--forcing the hand of Time, or of Fate.”

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
he followed on.

 Esperanza- She is Alfredo Salazar's wife. She is a simple woman who has been blessed with
the gift of uniform beauty. She had full trust in Alfredo Salazar and remained dedicated to
him despite learning of his affair with Julia. She believes strongly in the institution of
marriage and fidelity, and she honors her commitment to both even though she may never
genuinely love Alfredo.

She was one of those fortunate women who have the gift of uniformly acceptable appearance. She never surprised one
with unexpected homeliness nor with startling reserves of beauty. At home, in church, on the street, she was always
herself, a woman past first bloom, light and clear of complexion, spare of arms and of breast, with a slight convexity to
thin throat; a woman dressed with self-conscious care, even elegance; a woman distinctly not average.

Esperanza was not prone to indulge in unprovoked jealousies. She was a believer in the regenerative virtue of
institutions, in their power to regulate feeling as well as conduct. If a man were married, why, of course, he loved
his wife; if he were engaged, he could not possibly love another woman.

"What do you mean?" she asked with repressed violence. "Whatever my shortcomings, and no doubt
they are many in your eyes, I have never gone out of my way, of my place, to find a man."

 Julia Salas- She is Judge Del Valle's sister-in-law and the other woman in Alfredo Salazar's
life. She is a lovely, stunning, and charming lady.

Later Don Julian informed him that she was not the Judge's sister, as he had supposed, but his sister-in-law, and
that her name was Julia Salas.

"I'll inquire about--"

"What?"
"The house of the prettiest girl in the town."
"There is where you will lose your way." Then she turned
serious. "Now, that is not quite sincere."
"It is," he averred slowly, but emphatically.

After a half hour or so, the chessboard would be brought out; then Alfredo and Julia Salas would go out to the
porch to chat. She sat in the low hammock and he in a rocking chair and the hours--warm, quiet March hours--
sped by. He enjoyed talking with her and it was evident that she liked his company; yet what feeling there was
between them was so undisturbed that it seemed a matter of course.

 Plot:

 Can you outline the key events that make up the story's plot structure (exposition, rising
action, climax, falling action, resolution)?

 EXPOSITION: The exposition starts when Alfredo overhears Don Julian and Carmen discussing the
reasons why he hasn't wed Esperanza despite the fact that they have been engaged for a while. A
 few weeks later, Don Julian and Alfredo visit the judge's home where Alfredo meets Julia Salas, with
whom he fell in love and realized what he is missing.

 RISING ACTION: As they got to know one another throughout the course of their interactions,
Alfredo grew to love Julia more and more. She abruptly informed him that she had to return to her
hometown for the holy week just as he was about to confess to her, preserving their relationship.

 CLIMAX: Alfredo caught up with Julia after the procession for Our Lady of Sorrows. This is when
Julia learned about Alfredo's engagement, so she congratulated him. When they parted ways, he
went to Esperanza and talked over her note-taker, who was living with a man whom she is not
married with. Esperanza conveys her displeasure, which Alfredo attempts to counter. During this
argument, Esperanza realized that her fiancée was losing interest in her and becoming tired of her
by the minute since his heart had found someone else to admire. Alfredo realized he needed to
make a difficult decision as a result of this. Will he choose what he wants to? Or will he choose what
he has to?
 FALLING ACTION: The falling action occurs after the climax of the story, when Alfredo realizes that
he must return to his fiancée, Esperanza, and honor his commitment to marry her. The falling action
involves Alfredo's internal conflict and his resolution to end his romantic feelings for Julia. It also
explores the consequences of his actions on the other characters in the story.

 RESOLUTION: The resolution occurs when Alfredo, the protagonist, ultimately marries his fiancée,
Esperanza. This marks the end of his internal conflict and his infatuation with Julia, one of the
story's central conflicts. Alfredo's decision to honor his commitment to Esperanza brings closure to
the story, and the resolution suggests that he has moved on from his romantic feelings for Julia,
accepting the reality of his engagement.

 Point of View:

 From whose perspective is the story told? Quote from the text to support your answer.

 The story is told from Alfredo Salazar's, the main character's, point of view. "He rose and quietly
went out of the house. He lingered a moment on the stone steps; then went down the path shaded
by immature acacias, through the little tarred gate which he left swinging back and forth” The
narrator uses the pronoun "he" to refer to the main character, characteristic of the third-person
point of view. This pronoun indicates that the narrator is an observer rather than a participant in
the story. The narrator provides an objective description of the character's actions and
surroundings without directly delving into the character's inner thoughts and feelings. This aligns
with the third-person limited point of view, where the narrator has access to the character's
external actions but not their internal thoughts and emotions.

 Theme:

 What central theme(s) do you identify in the story?

 In the short story "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez Benitez, the theme for forbidden love is obvious
because Alfredo, despite being engaged to Esperanza for seven years, falls in love with another
woman, named Julia. This love becomes forbidden as he is torn between his commitment to
Esperanza and his feelings for Julia. The idea that forbidden love is only apparent suggests that
obligations can sometimes lead individuals to suppress their true feelings, making the love seem
forbidden when, in reality, it's a clash between emotions and expectations.
  Lesson:

 What moral or lesson do you think the author intends for readers to take away from the
story? How do the characters' experiences and actions contribute to conveying this lesson?

 A lot of times people will search for a new person to rekindle the fire in their hearts when
actually the only thing that was needed to do is to reignite the spark from the person they loved.
The lesson from the short story by Paz is you should not find another person to replace your
lover as in the end you will be the one regretting

 Real-World Applications:

 Can you think of situations in real life where the themes or lessons from the story could be
relevant? How might the story's insights be applied to personal experiences or societal
issues?

 In "Dead Stars" by Paz Marquez Benitez, Alfredo Salazar, the main character, embarks on a voyage of
self-discovery as he comes to terms with his genuine emotions and wants. We may put this into
application in our daily lives by constantly trying to understand ourselves better and pursuing
personal development. How to overcome oneself by realizing that deceptions can occasionally have
a significant impact on our life. And it is up to us to make a decision between two options without
the influence of society, allowing our own actions to shape our own future. I would say that it is like
we should be mindful on every life situations and decisions in life. That if its wrongfully done, it will
nor might have a great impact in past and present life. That is for us not to regret things we should
have done righteously. Every life decisions we create will have a great impact in our future life
situation.

 Symbolism and Imagery:

 Were there any symbols or vivid images used in the story? What do these symbols or
images represent, and how do they enhance the story's meaning? Quote examples from the
text to illustrate your points.

 Dead Stars symbolizes the unspoken present things. Alfredo and Julia's love and affection appeared
to be existing and real, but with the passage of time, it fades away like a Dead stars. It also
symbolizes the decisions we face in life. For example, you let your thoughts consume you or you face
the reality of your decision. This symbolism helps enhancing story’s meaning since it is used to
produce an impact, which it accomplishes by attaching additional meaning to an action, object, or name.

Gently--was it experimentally?--he pressed her hand at parting; but his own felt undisturbed and emotionless. Did
she still care? The answer to the question hardly interested him.

The young moon had set, and from the uninviting cot he could see one half of a star-studded sky.

So that was all over.

Why had he obstinately clung to that dream?

So all these years--since when?--he had been seeing the light of dead stars, long extinguished, yet seemingly still in
their appointed places in the heavens.
REFLECTING ON PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

1. Ambiguity:

 Were there any parts of the story that left you with questions or uncertainty?

 One aspect that confused me was Alfredo’s falling in love with another woman while
engaged to Esperanza, but he still chose Esperanza in the end. It made me wonder if he
actually chose Esperanza because he truly loves her or did he simply chose Esperanza
because he is afraid of what other people might say and because he feels obligated to her.

2. Alternate Endings:

 If you were to change the ending of the story, how would you do so? How would that
alteration impact the story's moral lesson or message?

 If I were to change the ending, I'd probably choose to have the main character, Alfredo, choose to be
with Julia, the woman he truly loves, instead of proceeding with his engagement to Esperanza. This
alteration would convey a different message, possibly emphasizing the importance of following
what your heart wants and being true to your feelings, even if it means facing the consequences of
breaking promises. However, this change would undermine the original story's message about the
complexities of human emotions and the impact of societal expectations on personal choices.

GROUP 6 MEMBERS:
Caberte, Kurt
Cervantes, David Romeo
Calma. Elaizhia Denelle Calma
Delos Angeles, Erich Mikaela M.
Gervacio, John Isaiah
Jimenez, Sophia
Perez, Marcus Kenchin
Sagban, Faith
Somodio, Maria Elena G.