SUMMARY

Dead Star Summary

The story of the short story Dead Stars revolves around a man, Alfred Salazar, and his affairs. Alfred Salazar believes in true love and optimism to discover ecstasy in its stir. Esperanza is the first woman he falls in love with.

The families of both of them are acquainted with each other and hence they start a loving relationship. Both get engaged after three years of their relationship. Alfredo is a lawyer who has strong desires and wants warmth and compassion, however, Esperanza is an impassionate woman having strong will and principles. Alfredo’s love for her soon fades away when he meets Julia. Julia, now, becomes a new object of his desire.

Julia Salas is sister in law of the Judge, who is a friend of Alfredo’s father. Julia is an optimistic and enthusiastic person having her own dreams and desires.

When Alfredo comes across her, he is strongly attracted to her. On his visit to her with his father, he engages himself in conversation with her and is attracted to her charm. Even he is so passionate that he doesn’t disclose his engagement to Esperanza.

So as to avoid the discovery of his fiancée, he keeps secrets from Esperanza too. His eyes are doomed when he learns about Julia’s return to his native town. With the fear of losing her, Alfredo decides to declare his true feeling for Julia.

When the Church’s function ends, Alfredo goes to meet her, though his fiancé is waiting for him. When he reaches there, he learns that Julia has already known about his engagement to Esperanza. She wishes him for his marriage and leaves him.

On his return home, he gets a double blow. He finds Esperanza talking to her friend about loyalty and faithfulness. Alfredo senses a desire to communicate. He supports the reason for craving and choice over dishonesty.

Esperanza soon confesses that she knew about his affair with Julia. In pursuit of his lust and heart’s content, she encourages him to cancel the wedding. However, the wedding goes ahead as scheduled and Alfred surrenders to reason Near Julia’s native town, Alfred, after eight years, is sent to some work duty. On his visit, he feels nostalgic and cannot resist his lust for Julia and soon finds an excuse to meet her.

Julia is still single that forces Alfred to dream about starting a new life with her; however, he soon realizes that everything is not the same as it were before. Moreover, Julia has also changed lost something.

Retrieve from: LitPriest

CHARACTERS

Alfredo Salazar - a lawyer and who love two woman: Esperanza and Julia Salas.

Julia Salas – a thoughtful, beautiful and winsome woman who is good at conversing on different and profound issues. She is energetic, enigmatic and vital, a young woman who is the other woman of the life of Alfredo Salazar.

Esperanza – wife of Alfredo, a woman of exquisite beauty, charm and wit. However, she suffers from the lust for material wealth and reputation.

Don Julian – father of Alfredo. He is a man of wisdom and advises Alfredo about the dangers of prolonging courtship and engagement without a proper marriage.

Carmen – alfredo sister and Vicente – Carmen’s husband

Judge del Valle – brother-in-law of Julia Salas, and happens to be the Salazar’s neighbor.

Donna Adella – sister of Julia Salas and Dionisio – Adella’s husband

Calixta – She is a friend of Esperanza. She lives with her lover even without marriage and becomes the reason for the exposition of Alfredo’s deceit and hypocrisy.

Brigida Samuy – The woman Alfredo is sent to learn about as part of his professional work. She lives near the hometown of Julia and becomes the means for a reunion with what he thought was his lost opportunity at love and happiness.

SETTINGS

·  House of Don Julian

·  House of Judge Del Valle

·  House of Don Julian in Tanda where there are coconut plantation and a beach

·  Church of Our Lady of Sorrow

·  Calle Real

·  Santa Cruz particularly in Calle Luz, hometown of Julia Salas

·  The time of the story is the Lenten Season because they are celebrating the holy week proven by the procession, they made with the Our Lady of Sorrow

CONFLICT

Man vs. Self - The conflict of the story is begun to Alfredo because he is not ready to take a commitment to Esperanza even, they are engaged in many years, although Alfredo seemed uncertain of his real wants. It is not to mean though that Alfredo is afraid to commit. He just fell in love with another woman named Julia Salas. Alfredo is confused to choose between something he wanted to do and something he need to do.

 Man vs. Society – Alfredo loving Julia is a taboo in his society because he is a engage man. That is the one of reason that led Alfredo into confusion

PLOT

Exposition – At the beginning of the story, Alfredo and Esperanza are engaged to be married. Their partnership is considered ideal by many. At Don Julian’s house Carmen was asking Don Julian about Alfredo Salas and Esperanza. Alfredo reminisces how she met Julia Salas.

Rising Action - One night, Alfredo goes to visit a neighboring judge with his father, Don Julian. There, he meets Julia, a young woman. All the time he was calling her Mrs. Del Valle which led to embarrassment. Alfredo continues to visit the judge, quickly developing feelings for Julia.

Climax - After the procession for 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 his understanding with Esperanza. She said goodbye, then Alfredo went to Esperanza. Esperanza soon confesses to Alfredo that she knew about his affair with Julia. In pursuit of his lust and heart’s content, she encourages him to cancel the wedding. However, the wedding goes ahead as scheduled and Alfred surrenders to reason.

Denouement - Despite his feelings for Julia, Alfredo marries Esperanza. Eight years later, he was searching for a lady named Brigida Samuy a lady important for his defense in court-in Sta. Cruz, Julia’s hometown. In there he meets Julia once again and found she’s still unmarried. At that point, he realizes that he is no longer in love with Julia and that what he once felt for her has become like a “dead star”. 

POINT-OF-VIEW

Third-person POV – the author of the story dead star uses the pronoun (she, he and they).  We can see thoughts and feelings of character if the author chooses  to reveal  them to us. We only know only what the character knows and what  the author allows him/her to tell us.

THEME

Love and Forbidden love – the story focus on a man, Alfredo, who is engaged to one woman but falls in love with another woman. Love can be seen in the story. Alfredo love Esperanza that is why he courted her and engage with her. However, the tone of the story change when he met Julia. He is confused to choose between what he wants and what he needs to do. Forbidden love is only apparent and curses and disturbs the person until a person realizes his or her faults. 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.