Dead Stars (powerpoint)

DEAD STARSPaz Marquez - Benitez

Paz Marquez - Benitez Born in 1894 in Lucena City,

Quezon. Born into the prominent Marquez family of Quezon province, she was among the first generation of Filipino people trained in the American education system which used English as the medium of instruction.

She graduated high school in Tayabas High School now, Quezon National High School and college from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912.

She was a member of the first freshman class of the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912.

Two years after graduation, she married UP College of Education Dean Francisco Benítez with whom she had four children. Márquez-Benítez later became a teacher at the University of the Philippines, who taught short-story writing and had become an influential figure to many Filipino writers in the English language, such as Loreto Paras-Sulit, Paz M. Latorena Arturo Belleza Rotor,Bienvenido N. Santos and Francisco Arcellana. The annually held Paz Marquez-Benitez Lectures in the Philippines honors her memory by focusing on the contribution of Filipino women writers to Philippine Literature in the English language. Though she only had one more published short story after “Dead Stars” entitled "A Night In The Hills", she made her mark in Philippine literature because her work is considered the first modern Philippine short story. For Marquez-Benitez, writing was a lifelong occupation. In 1919 she founded "Woman's Home Journal", the first women's magazine in the country.

"Filipino Love Stories", reportedly the first anthology of Philippine stories in English by Filipinos, was compiled in 1928 by Marquez-Benitez from the works of her students.

Marquez - Benítez authored the first Filipino modern English language, Dead Stars, published in the Philippine Herald in 1925.

When her husband died in 1951, she took over as editor of the Philippine Journal of Education at UP. She held the editorial post for over two decades. In 1995, her daughter, Virginia Benitez-Licuanan wrote her biography, "Paz Marquez-Benitez: One Woman's Life, Letters, and Writings.“

She became an influential figure to many Filipino writers in the English language and was declared as the “mother of modern English-language short story.”

Works

"A Night in The Hills" (1925, 7 pages) Dead Stars (published in the Philippine

Herald in 1925)

DEAD STARS

Difficult Words

DIFFICULT WORDS:

1.Tranquil – quiet and peaceful

2. Perfervid – marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion

3.Tumultuous – loud, excited, and emotional

4. Recalcitrant – stubbornly refusing to obey rules or orders

5. Incontrovertible – not able to be doubted or questioned

6. Exuberant – very lively, happy, or energetic

7. Fastidious – very careful about how you do something

8. Desultory – not having a plan or purpose

9. Hammock – a swinging couch or bed usually made of netting or canvas

10. Elusive – hard to find or capture

11. Errant – behaving wrongly

12. Saunter – to walk along in a slow and relaxed manner

13. Piquant – having a pleasant, spicy taste

14. Evasive – not honest or direct

15. Tumult – a state of noisy confusion or disorder

16. Quaint – having an old-fashioned or unusual quality or appearance that is usually attractive or appealing

17. Acrid – bitter and unpleasant in taste or smell

18. Docket – a list of the legal cases that will be tried in a court of law

19. Peculiar – not usual or normal

20. Acquisitive – having a strong desire to own or acquire more things

DEAD STARS

Elements

I. CHARACTERS Alfredo Salazar – son of Don Salazar, a man of 30

years of age, engaged to Esperanza but has a deep feeling with Julia Salas(protagonist-antagonist, dynamic)

Esperanza – wife of Alfredo (antihero, dynamic) Carmen Salazar – Alfredo’s sister (typical) Don Julian Salazar – father of Alfredo (typical) Judge Dionisio del Valle – brother-in-law of Julia

Salas (typical) Julia Salas – Doña Adela’s sister whom Alfredo fell

in love with (antiihero,dynamic) Doña Adela Salas – del Valle – Judge Del Valle’s

wife (typical)

Vicente – Carmen’s husband (flat) Mr. Manalang – mentioned in the story (flat) Calixta – note-carrier of Afredo and

Esperanza (flat) Brigida Sumuy – illusive woman whose

Alfredo is looking for in Sta. Cruz (flat)

II. SettingsGeographical Setting

I. Don Julian’s HouseMartinez’s yard (House of Judge del Valle)

II. Don Julian’s house in Tanda (where there are coconut plantation and beach)Church of Our Lady of Sorrow

III. Alfredo’s HouseCalle Luz, Sta. Cruz (Julia’s hometown

Time Setting

I. Last week of February (when Alfredo was only 30 years old)

II. Lenten Season

III. Eight years after (present time)

Occupational Setting

Alfredo Salazar is a lawyer

General Environment

A scenery of well-to-do families living in big houses

III. Point of View

Third person – OmniscientThe narrator was able to read the minds of the characters. The narrator revealed how each character is thinking and feeling, and the narrator explained the events according to hoe each character would interpret them.

IV. Plot

EXPOSITION

RISI

NG A

CTIO

N

FALLING ACTIO

N

CLIMAX

DENOUMENTAlfredo reminisce how he met Julia

Salas

Alfredo realized how he was in love with Julia in spite of his engagement with

Esperanza

The procession wherein Julia found out Alfredo’s wedding which lead Afredo to a very difficult situation, would he choose Julia whom he loves? Or Esperanza whom he has ought to

marry?

Julia Salas didn’t want Alfredo not to honor his

understanding with Esperanza said goodbye

Alfredo and Esperanza got married, after eight years, he

visited Julia and found out that his love for her was like a

dead star.

V. Tone

The short story sways with sad tone as it s characters have feelings that are left unspoken.

VI. Style

FLASHBACK

VII. Irony VERBAL“Was he being cheated by life?”“Why would men so mismanage their lives?”“Was he becoming a poet, or is there a poet

lurking in the heart of every man?”“they say that May is the month of happiness” DRAMATIC

Esperenza have no idea with Alfredo’s feelings for Julia (at first wherein the readers knew it first.)

SITUATIONALWhen Alfredo still chose to live and marry with Esperanza

Biggest irony

The irony is that eight years later when he visits Julia during a business trip in Sta. Cruz, he realizes that his love and passion for her has faded away just like dead stars.

“Its like the love you fell now may not be the same love you felt back then just like the stars you see at night they may be shiny but it is only the leftover shine travelling but they’re dead.”

VIII. Conflict

Man vs. Himself Man vs. Circumstances

IX. Symbol

“the road is too broad, too trodden by feet, too barren of mystery” – unable to make decisions

“like a carabao in a mud pool” – happy/ calm and placid

X. Movement

Abnormal

XI. Pace

Slow – easy pace

XII. Theme/ Insight

Forbidden love that deals with human’s weaknesses

X. Use of Color

Typical scenery of a town (of well-to-do families)

Lenten Season

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paz_M%C3%A1rquez-Ben%C3%ADtez

http://www.nancycudis.com/2012/01/dead-stars-by-paz-marquez-benitez.htmlA

http://rizal.lib.admu.edu.ph/aliww/english_pmbenitez.html

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