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BY: CARL JAY BAYETA.

Dead Stars is a short story of an over thirty years old bachelor, Alfredo Salazar who was about to get married to his fiancée, Esperanza. His love and passion for his fiancée started fading away when he met another woman named Julia Salas. As Alfredo knew that his family will disapprove his desire of having another woman so he decided to continue marrying Esperanza and started a new family. After eight years, Alfredo went on a business trip and was able to met Julia in her hometown. T o his surprise, he realized that his feelings changed and he no longer feel attracted to her. He compared his love for her as a dead stars, his memory of wanting a girl he thought he loved..

The story of the Dead Stars revolves around a man named Alfred Salazar and his affairs. Alfred Salazar believes in true love. Esperanza is the first woman he falls in love with. Their families are both acquainted with each other and that encourages them to start their relationship. They got engaged after three years of their relationship. Alfredo was a lawyer who had strong desire and compassion however, Esperanza was an impassionate woman who had a strong will and principles. Alfredo’s love for her soon fades away when he meets Julia. Julia becomes his new desire and love affection. Julia Salas was the sister in law of the Judge, who was a friend of Alfredo’s father. Julia was the type of person who was optimistic and enthusiastic person having her own dreams and desires . Alfredo goes to meet Julia. When he reaches there, he learned that Julia had already known about his engagement. She wished him for his marriage and leaves him. On his return home, he finds Esperanza talking to her friend about loyalty and faithfulness. Alfredo had a desire to communicate with her. But Esperanza soon confessed that she knew about his affair. In pursuit of his lust and heart’s content, she encourages him to cancel the wedding. However, the wedding goes ahead as scheduled. After eight years, Alfredo went on a business trip and was able to met Julia in her hometown. To his surprise, he realized that his feelings changed and he no longer feel attracted to her. He compared his love for her as a dead stars, his memory of wanting a girl he thought he loved..

. FORBIDDEN LOVE Dead Stars expresses the subject of forbidden love. Forbidden love is requires secret-keeping. RESPONSIBILITY Responsibility is another underlying theme of the story. Alfred is engaged to his beloved to get married, yet, he distracts himself with another woman Julia. He forgets his responsibility towards his soon to-be wife, even after eight years he still thinks of another woman until he realizes that they are both changed..

SYMBOLISM Dead Stars symbolizes the unspoken present things. The affection and love between Alfredo and Julia seemed to be existing and real, however, with the passage of time, it fades away like a dead star. Hence, the disillusionment and memories of the past do not exist anymore. After eight years of not seeing each other, the love fades not because of the fading youth, but because Alfred realized that what he perceived in the past were all gone. The illusions that he concealed all the years turns out to be nothing but dead stars; it was dead long ago, yet it emits apparently real lights to travel the long distance. The devotion of Esperanza for Alfred also symbolizes love, however, she believes more in the reformative virtue than true love, that's why we can say that she was in a relationship because of moral obligation ..

Paz Marquez- Benítez She is most known by her short story Dead Stars (1925) in which the two main characters are displayed as allegories to American imperialism in order to portray the slow decay of Philippine heritage . In her masterpiece DEAD STARS, it did not only write about love story but most importantly, her writing reflects the literary work with the language and norms and the way people think.