In my class in literature, I have read one of the best short stories written during the Apprenticeship period. In this period, Filipino literature was merely an imitation of foreign ones. Now, in the short story written by Paz Marquez-Benitez- “Dead Stars”, it was a story of a man who was engaged to a woman and has met another one. It focused on the way the characters decided whether or not to do what is right, or to do what he wants.
To understand my blog, you must first read the whole story. It is actually an interesting story. It showed conflicts, political issues, how the society looks at a certain situation and Filipino traditions.
Here’s the link : http://www.sushidog.com/bpss/stories/stars.htm
I would briefly give you an idea about the three main characters.
Alfredo Salazar – he was a lawyer, over thirty years of age and is engaged with Esperanza for over 3 years.
Esperanza – A lady who is engaged with Alfredo Salazar, knows her place, and is considered as a person with high morals.
Julia Salas – A lady whom Alfredo met in the house of Judge del Valle. She is someone whom you can easily start a conversation with and has a likeable personality.
When do you think is choosing what you have to do be the wisest thing to do?
I think that it’s the wisest thing to do when, if choosing the other option would hurt too many people or people important to you. What you have to do must be given more weight than what you want. In my own perspective, I’d rather do the things I have to do even if it means sacrificing my own happiness. I have known so much and I have realized that my “wants” seldom bring me good fortune. When I follow what I want, I hurt other people’s feelings and it was painful to realize that my happiness would cost others pain. My happiness is not as important to me as the happiness of the people significant to me.
When do you think is choosing what you want to do be the wisest thing to do?
I think choosing what I want would be the wisest when I am sure I am right and I don’t have to hurt someone else’s feelings. It would be the wisest thing to do if what I want if it is the only best option I have.
Did Julia love Alfredo?
Yes, I think so. Though they didn’t end up being together, I could arrive into a conclusion that Julia loved Alfredo, or might have been starting to. True enough that if Julia really loved him, she could have given Alfredo reasons to not get married with Esperanza and choose her. Anyway, it was evident that Alfredo was really interested in her. But, it was not the kind of love Julia thought was best. Her love was sacrificed. Of course, a man cannot just back out form a promise, more so with a wedding, just in an instant. Maybe she didn’t want Alfredo to be talked behind his back because of his unfaithfulness to his fiancée, Esperanza. It was not a righteous act of a man to let he be emotionally involved to a certain extent with another woman besides his partner. Julia also knows where she should stand. Esperanza found Alfredo first and they had more time together than she with him. She didn’t want to hurt Esperanza’s feelings and so with the parents and relatives of both. It would also put the family into shame when a man abandons his long time partner for a girl he met in barely 6 weeks. That was considered absurd. A man is bound to every promise he makes. Her love was a unique kind of love. Loving Is not always being happy with the person, it may also be allowing the person to have his peace of mind and happiness even if it may not include you in the picture.
This is considered as one of the best literary pieces during the apprenticeship period because it is not a mere imitation of foreign literature. During the apprenticeship period, where Americans were the teachers and they introduced American authors, Paz Benitez wrote a story where Filipino culture and traditions were shown. Also, unlike other literary pieces, this was not heavily didactic in the sense that there was no litany of instructions seen. Also, the main character, Alfredo had a choice whether to marry Esperanza or to choose Julia. Though he considered what people may say, what Esperanza may feel, still, he had a choice. It was clear that he had an option in the story. He waited for any sign from Julia to tell him that she also loved him and she had feelings for him. If Julia did, then Alfredo might have chosen her over his fiancée, Esperanza. Alfredo’s feelings was well focused in the story. It didn’t focus on what society might think and what society considered as right or wrong.
Until Next time.
(Oh! Please pray for me, it’s our midterms next week. Hehe. )
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