Ilag-ilag, Lennyvic Allen L.

Dead Stars

The is about a man Alfredo Salazar who experienced forbidden love, he wants to be in a
relationship with someone he can not have and responsibility because he is committed to
his fiance for four years, Esperanza. Yet he was distracted with another woman, Julia in their
first meeting in the judge’s house. That he forgot his responsibility towards his beloved.
Alfredo was aware that he can not be with Julia because he is going to marry his fiance and
his family will not agree with him. So, Alfredo and Esperanza got married and had a family.
After, eight years he visited the place where he met Julia and he saw her unmarried, old and
frail. He realized that his feelings was gone and compared his love for Julia with a dead stars.

Upon reading the story, I learned many lessons. Once we are already committed, we
should not settle our eyes on someone other than the person we love, because this person
out their wholeheartedly trust and loves us sincerely. They do not deserve if we treated
them differently, Alfredo was tempted but he was luck enough that he has a very
understanding fiance and accepted him back even though he cheated. In order for us to
avoid hurting our love ones, we should prevent ourselves from falling to temptation because
seeing the people we love hurting and we are the reason that they are suffering and that is
not good. It is better to stay, honest and loyal than mending a broken glasses and this is
what the story wants to tell us.

The lessons that we learned makes the story because the author wants us to know the
effects of forbidden love and responsibility. The story tells us the confusion, weakness and
being irrational are innate flaws of a human, through his experiences we can see the
outcome of cheating to someone. The author wants us to realize the possible happenings if
we are not gonna think clearly on our decisions, we should really think twice. Making a
decision it should not be clouded with emotions because it will hinder the right choices for
us and that may result to a bad out come that may the reason why we regret on losing
someone we love. This story is a wake up call for someone who is confuse and might cheat
or leave their love to other woman whom they just met.

The view of the author in evil is Alfredo's unfaithfulness and was very vulnerable in love.
He was trapped in deciding what his heart desires, Alfredo was torn between doing what is
right and what is in his heart. He was uncertain and confused by his decision because he was
overwhelmed with his feelings to the woman whom he just met. Chose to cheat on his
fiance for four years and abandon his feeling to Esperanza to the woman he just met, did not
realize that it is just a infatuation. The good view in this story Esperanza’s love for his fiance
was greater than the problem they faced and chose to forgive him. After Esperanza confront
Alfredo he came back to his senses, was consumed by guilt and chose his commitment to his
fiance over his intense but brief affair with Julia.

“Dead Stars” means memories of the past. This story want to convey on the readers on
deciding between what our hearts truly wants or we should do what our mind wants or we
should stay to what we promised to someone. The author used flowery words, however it
shows a sad tone to the story because the Dead Stars symbolizes things that are presents
but it is also left unspoken. She wants us to know that in making decision we should really
think the pros and cons before we make a move, she also wants us to know what we would
follow if its the right or wrong decisions. The author want to convey a message that a
forbidden love has a bad effects on the person if we would not really think about it deeply,
she also shows in her story the possible outcomes we might hurt the person we care and
that tells us that we should do it.

The story was written during 1925 using a new language for the Filipino and that is
English. That time English was still a new language for them and many of the writer’s are still
getting the hang of it because it is new for them in expressing their thoughts and opinions
with a new language. This story is not just a typical love story. Moreover, her works reflects
the time in which the literary work was written along, the tradition of the Filipinos and
through this story we can able to know how they think. This also may serve as a time
machine for us, young readers. Because of this story we can understand what are the beliefs
of the Filipinos during that time, this may help us to avoid misunderstanding.

In this story, we can see how courtship and fidelity were viewed through the early 90’s
standards. This will help us to know more on the differences between the past and the
presents, the modern culture and the fading tradition. During 20th century the people has a
new tradition on expressing their love to the person they want to be. Before in expressing
their love to someone they will write letters and the couples should ask permission on their
parents before they will indulge into a relationship. In courting to woman it will take time
before they will say a yes. This time, the courtship is way different before because the
people now can use cellphones and express their love through social media, text messages
or calls. It is not the same before because especially the teens, some of them they will not
ask a permission to their parents anymore. The tradition in courtship before is not the same
today and that is sad because it is fading and some of us tends to forget about it.

It started with the interaction of Alfredo and Julia, and their relationship grows more
intimate. He was swayed with his emotions that their closeness reached to the point where
Alfredo looks forward in visiting Julia again, wherein he had second thoughts of marrying
Esperanza because he another woman. When he learned that Julia will return to her
hometown, he though it might their last meeting but he saw Julia at the plaza and she
discovered the engagement of him with Esperanza and Julia congratulates him and Alfredo
got confused thinking he is in love with Julia. As they parted their ways, he never thought
that Esperanza knew about his affair with another woman.

Esperanza experienced a nerve wrecking problem just before getting married. Esperanza
waited for a long time for Alfredo, yet Alfredo was not decided if he will or will not marry
Esperanza. She revealed that she knew about the affair of his fiance for a long time and yet
she never showed her feelings until she confronted Alfredo. During the confrontation she
was so angry and ask him about his affair but she kept her cool. So, Alfredo chose to be with
his fiance . I would change my mind in marrying a guy like Alfredo. But, Esperanza’s love for
his fiance was greater that the problem they faced chose to marry him.