UMMARY: Dead Star is a love story about a man named Alfredo Salazar,who has his fiance in the person of Esperanza and they have been engaged for quite some time. Society views them as an ideal couple. Their wedding is 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 chose 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, 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: How one can conquer his self by understanding, understanding that sometimes illusions can be very influential in our lives. And it is up to us, without the interference of society, to choose between two good choices, letting our own hands mold our own destiny. CONFLICT: Man Vs. Society SYMBOLISMS: DEAD STARS A star symbolizes symbolizes a person’s person’s dream. dream. It is what he/she yearns yearns for. When we look look up into the night sky, we see bright stars that we can’t seem to take our eyes off them. But if a star is dead, It begins to dim and slowly self-destruct, making it loose its glamour, the reason why we were attracted to it in the first place. INTERPRETATION: Why the story is titled ti tled ‘Dead Star’: When he first courted Ezperanza, he always had this urgent need that would make him yearn to see her might it day or night. He courted her with serenades, flowers and sweet notes. But soon, it slowly died and then he met Julia. And at fir st fir st he was awestruck by her ‘exotic’ beauty. But soon, after he married Ezperanza, his love for Julia
itle: Dead Stars Author: Paz Marquez Benitez Setting: i. Time: Lenten Season ii. Place: Laguna, Philippines Characterization: * Alfredo Salazar- son of Don Julian, a more than 30 years old man and a bachelor who was engaged to Esperanza but he still flirting with another woman named Julia Salas. * Esperanza- Alfredo’s fiancee; She is a homely woman, literal minded and intensely passionate. She is one of those lucky women who have the gift of unvaryingly beauty. * Julia Salas- Judge del Valle’s sister -in-law; a woman whom Alfredo Salazar fall in love with. * Don Julian- Carmen and Alfredo’s f ather; a valued and educated old man. * Carmen- Alfredo’s sister who was trying to argue with her father about her brother’s wedding. * Doña Adela and Judge del Valle- the couple who was a family friend of Don Julian. Plot: Alfredo Salazar, a spinster over thirty is engaged to Esperanza for quite three years and everyone takes it for granted that he will finally marry Esperanza. But although he is ashamed to admit it, the intensity of his enthusiasm for Esperanza has gone and he is attracted to Julia. However, he is aware that all his loved ones would criticize of his failure to honor his understanding with Esperanza, so he decided to marry Esperanza. Then, years later, he goes on a business trip to the town where Julia lives and he goes to visit Julia, whom he has never forgotten. He is surprised to find that he no longer feels attracted to her and he compares the memory of his love for her to dead stars, whose shine is still visible from earth for years after they are gone. Point of view: Third-person omniscient, the narrator can — and does — jump into the minds of many different characters. The narrator will tell us how each character is thinking and feeling, and will explain events according to how each character would interpret them.
