1. Faculty Member, Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology, Philippines.

*             Correspondence: zaldyb149@gmail.com

Keywords: Dead Stars, Alfredo Salazar, Filipino, Readers, Julia, author

1. INTRODUCTION

Literature provides readers with opportunities to feel the excitement, live through the anxiety, and enjoy the thrills of experiences of the exquisite stories that are far beyond the readers’ imaginations. It gives them priceless gifts; and transports them to an imaginative world where everything is ideal yet seemingly far beyond reach of the ordinary reader [1]. “Dead Stars” is the timeless short story that gave birth to modern Philippine writing in English. It is considered as the finest short story in Philippine literature. The theme of love is one of the most used and abused, and yet it is still the one that sells the most. “Dead Stars” is a story of love-love gained and love lost [2]. Scientifically, these are stars that have long been gone which can still be seen because the light which they gave off moved slowly through the galaxies, making it appear like the actual star is still there when it is not. The researcher had chosen to study and analyze the said short story since it aroused his interest to analyze a literary work that is a true representative of literary trends, people and cultured of his own nation [3]. More importantly, it contained events that are really happening in the real life. It has lessons that could be valued by students, young lovers, parents, husbands and wives. It appeals to all, anytime, anywhere because it deals with the basic feelings of people, fundamental truths and universal conditions. It is on this premise, that the researcher is compelled to empathize with the actual feelings, fundamental truths and conditions with people who are immersed with the real happenings in the world. It is believed by the researcher that being true to oneself is freedom [4]. Post-Structuralist Analysis had been selected based on the appropriateness of the text. The purpose is to discuss and interpret the seven elements of the story. Post-Structuralism theory states the disappearance of the author in the analysis. Some of the key assumptions of the theory are the following: (1) The interpretation of meaning of a text is therefore dependent on a reader’s own personal concept of self; (2) The author’s intended meaning is secondary to the meaning that the readers perceive, and a literary text has no single purpose, meaning or existence; (3) It is necessary to utilize a variety of perspectives to create a multifaceted interpretation of a text, even if these interpretations conflict with one another [5]. In the post-structuralism approach to textual analysis, the reader replaces the author as the primary subject of inquiry. The “Death of the Author,” Barthes maintained, was the “Birth of the Reader,” as the source of the proliferation of meanings of the text. In his essay, criticizes the reader’s tendency to consider aspects of the author’s identity—his political views, historical context, religion, ethnicity, psychology, or other biographical or personal attributes—to distill meaning from his work. In this critical schematic, the experiences and biases of the author serve as its definitive “explanation.” For Barthes, this is a tidy, convenient method of reading and is sloppy and flawed: “To give a text an Author” and assign a single, corresponding interpretation to it “is to impose a limit on that text.” Reader/readers must separate a literary work from its creator in order to liberate it from interpretive tyranny (a notion similar to Erich Auerbach’s discussion of narrative tyranny in Biblical parables), for each piece of writing contains multiple layers and meanings [6]. In a famous quotation, Barthes draws an analogy between text and textiles, declaring that a “text is a tissue (or fabric) of quotations,” drawn from “innumerable centers of culture,” rather than from one, individual experience. The essential meaning of a work depends on the impressions of the reader, or community of readers as Stanley Fish would point out, rather than the “passions” or “tastes” of the writer; “a text’s unity lies not in its origins,” or its creator, “but in its destination,” or its audience; a fitting theory for the intensive analysis of “Dead Stars” that was considered as the finest and beautiful short story of acclaimed writer Paz Marquez Benitez [7]. Paz Marquez Benitez was also a dreamer and aspiring writer during her childhood years. She was known for founding Woman’s Home Journal, the first women’s magazine in the country. She became a teacher at the University of the Philippines, who taught writing and had become an influential figure to many Filipino writers in English language. Though she only had one more published short story after “Dead Stars” entitled “A Night in the Hill”, she made her mark in Philippine literature because her work was considered the first modern Philippine short story. The first time the researcher read the short story “Dead Stars” in the internet, he found it as a very interesting and it tickled his imaginative mind in the different situations that are also happening in the real scenario [8]. Since he wanted to divulge the implied meaning on the text, he created an intensive interpretation out of it. It made him to read, do research and surf on-line just to find out the supporting details to prove that his interpretations are valid and acceptable for approval. During the interpretation, the researcher found out that the story offers an exciting experience and mixed emotions to the readers that would make someone love it [9]. This study aimed to interpret the literary piece “Dead Stars”, so that readers and teachers could have a guide on how to apply criticism by reading the text against itself, create a certain literary guide for the enrichment of learning among students who also have the inclination to literatures, and to introduce the unique method of interpreting the text to readers. The researcher, an aspiring writer and story lover, is convinced of the importance of this study [10]. The researcher wants to share his knowledge about the new criticism and promote better understanding in literature to all readers and aspiring writers like him. This study, “Dead Stars”: A Post-Structuralist Analysis is anchored on the post-structuralist theory diagram that presents the seven elements of the short story and theory that were used in the analysis of the story including the output. This diagram shows the idea that a literary piece can be interpreted in a special way.

Figure 01: The seven elements of the short story and theory that was used in the analysis of the short story Dead Stars

This study focused on the Post-Structuralist Theory to analyze the short tale “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez, a Philippine author. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the narrative and its various components, including characterization, setting, plot, point of view, theme, tone, and conflict. The study is beneficial for students of literature, literature teachers, school communities, and English professors [11,12].

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study’s primary goal was to provide a relevant interpretation of the short tale “Dead Stars” by means of Post-Structuralist Analysis. The study used post-structuralist analysis using qualitative study. Without hasty qualifier, Qualitative Content study is a technique of empirical, methodical controlled study of texts within their context of communication following content analytical principles and step by step models. study design suited for investigations aiming to discover what predominated in the existing circumstances or relationships, held attitudes and beliefs, process and consequences and growing trends. Ultimately, it was a design meant to “describe the nature of a situation as it exists at the time of the study and to explore particular phenomena as referenced by [13]. The reading material examined by the researcher was Paz Marquez Benitez’s short tale “Dead Stars”; Post-Structuralism Theory of Jacques Derrida, which anchors on the topic that is the short story, was also employed. The seven short story aspects around which the narrative’s analysis would center are: characterization, setting, plot, point of view, theme, tone, and conflict. The researcher concentrated on the following for post-stucturalist study of “Dead Stars” that is clearer and deeper: (1) characterization, the subject of analysis would be at the characteristics of a person (individual, developing or static), and person’s in a work of fiction-antagonist and protagonist; (2) setting, the focus would be the world the author’s described in the story, the imaginative culture happening in a place that is rooted in his or her mind, the location of a story’s actions, along with the time it occurs that also includes mood and social conditions; The causal chain of events, the “why” for the things that occurred in the narrative, the specific parts or plot components (exposition, complexity, climax, and resolution) in place would be the subject of study under (3) plot. (4) point of view, the emphasis of study would be on the angle of vision from which the reader(s), events and plot specifics are seen; On (5) subject, the emphasis of study would be on the (moral, teaching, and perspective) about life and how individuals act in a particular circumstance. (6) tone; the emphasis of the study would be on the emotional coloring or meaning of the work, author’s attitude toward the topic, tools used to create the mood and atmosphere of a literary work, and the sounds of words, their arrangement and sequence; In conflict, the emphasis would be on the particular conflict occurring in the life of the character(s) that significantly affects the narrative and deepens the reader’s knowledge of a character, hence generating the tension and intrigue that drives him/her to keep reading. Focusing on apparently meaningless and small details in a work of literature, the researcher used the fundamental guidelines of post-structuralist analysis during the examination of the seven components of the short story to uncover deeper themes like conflict and social structure in works that on the surface address entirely different topics and relate it on the normal and real life scenario. The researcher sought to make the not-seen visible in his text analysis; he targets a particular relationship, unperceived by the author (or readers), doing the oppositional reading, reading the text with the goal of unmasking internal contradictions or inconsistencies in the text, aiming to show the disunity which underlies its apparent unity. The researcher followed the Newton (2007) fundamental stages in performing an interpretation under the poststructuralist analysis in doing the interpretations: (1) He reads the text against itself to reveal what could be considered the textual subconscious, where meanings are expressed that may be directly opposed to the surface meaning; (2) he fired upon the surface features of words—similarities, meanings, a dead metaphor and bring these to the foreground, so that they become crucial to the overall meaning or even disrupt the overall meaning; (3) he seeks to show that the text is characterized by disunity rather than unity; (4) he concentrated on a single passage and analyzed it so intensively that it becomes impossible to sustain an univocal reading and the language explodes into multiplicities of meaning; (5) he looked for shifts and breaks of various kinds in the text and sees these as evidence of what is repressed or glossed over or passed over in silence by the text and brought these to the surface, analyzing how their presence affected the overall meaning of the work.

3. RESULT & DISCUSSION

Professor Hirsch’s work on objectivity in humane studies emphasizes the importance of understanding the evidence behind a story. He distinguishes between meaning and significance, and highlights the distinction between text meaning and interpretation. In the short story ‘Dead Stars’, the protagonist Alfredo Salazar is portrayed as vulnerable in love, trapped in a decision that could change his life. The story centers around Alfredo, who is the son of Don Julian and is over 30 years old. He is engaged to Esperanza but has feelings for Julia Salas, a relative of the judge. Despite societal rules, Alfredo chooses to marry Esperanza, but ultimately finds himself infatuated with Julia.The character of Alfredo Salazar is the best subject for post-structuralist criticism, as he played a significant role in the story’s development. Alfredo’s dialogues reveal his opposition to societal judgment and his desire to spend his life with Julia Salas. He believes that society will judge him for being with another woman, given his engagement with Esperanza.In a conversation between Alfredo and Julia, Alfredo expresses his intimate feelings towards her, which is taboo in society. Julia, a Christian, congratulates him for his approaching wedding, but he hesitates to offer an explanation, as she knows mere visitors are slow to get the news. Professor Hirsch’s work on objectivity in humane studies highlights the importance of understanding the evidence behind a story and the importance of understanding the meaning behind a character’s actions. In the dialogue between Alfredo and Julia, it is revealed that Alfredo Salazar is frustrated by Julia’s indifferent behavior and his inability to inform her about his engagement with Esperanza. This sarcasm suggests that Alfredo had no choice but to make the right decision for the betterment of everyone. Esperanza, the character of every woman, has the endowed talent of being receptive about her beloved’s life and knowing when to hold on and when to let go. She gives Alfredo the freedom to run to Julia, a way to cancel their wedding, challenging the principle of Alfredo Salazar to be honest with her and let go of societal rumors and judgment. The dialogue highlights the complexity of oppositions in a male-dominated society, where man is the founding principle and woman is the excluded opposite. Oppositions can be partly undermined or shown partly to undermine each other in the process of textual meaning. Woman is not just another in the sense of something beyond his knowledge, but another intimately related to him as the image of what he is not [14]. A man’s being parasitically dependent upon the woman and the act of excluding and subordinating her is necessary because she may not be quite so other after all. Alfredo cares so much about his reputation that he would be a lesser man if he turned his back on their wedding. He has been seeing the light of dead stars, long extinguished yet seemingly still in their appointed places in the heavens. The memories of his lost love remain unto him, but he misses it. Love is seen as the eternal puzzle, and Alfredo feels torn between cultures and the force of external pressures. After the marriage, Alfredo practices a kind of retreat, but the freedom he discovers is circumscribed because it is not viable in any kind of social space. For him, utter alienation is a kind of solace, as he reflects on the essential self, which would always be free and alone. Alfredo’s retreat in oppressive circumstances is more self-annihilating than self-preserving, leading to the loss of both things and people. Julia Salas, who had nursed affection for him for years, becomes part of what is “remote and alien” until he sees her again. Alfredo realizes that his submission to external pressures associated with Esperanza requires a relinquishment of the passion and freedom of Julia Salas [15]. The world untouched by Esperanza and the Americans is forever gone, leaving Alfredo with immense sadness and homesickness for an immutable refuge of the heart far away. The three main characters (Alfredo, Esperanza, and Julia) appear to be trapped in a fate not of their own choosing. Love does not choose the person; it is the person who chooses to love, regardless of whether it turns out to be an “exaggeration of the commonplace” or a glorification of insipid monotonies. The setting of the story, described by Paz Marquez Benitez, serves as a time machine for people to understand how courtship, marriage, and fidelity were viewed through early 1900 standards. The story shows the struggle of men against society due to fear of the reaction of the people around them. They try to obey the norms, traditions, and culture of their society, sometimes sacrificing personal opinions, emotions, or decisions. The setting and social conditions displayed by the story were frustrating to men, making them feel like puppets and prisoners to their own will and principle. “Dead Stars” is a story set in a conservative society in the Philippines, where engagements were considered a sacred responsibility. Alfredo, a man who promised Esperanza he would marry her, had to keep his promise to her, as it was a duty he had to follow [16]. If he had chosen Julia, it would have damaged his reputation and damaged his relationship with Esperanza. The story ends with a sense of sadness, as Alfredo gives up on his dream of marrying Julia, a woman he met recently. The story revolves around the conservative culture of the time, where marriages were seen as public events and a symbol of joining families together. It highlights the importance of considering one’s own happiness and not sacrificing personal happiness for the sake of societal norms and tradition. The story highlights the importance of time and love in deciding on a big decision, as many marriages fail due to insufficient time for couples to fully consider their future together. “Dead Stars” highlights the importance of standing on one’s principles and choosing what brings satisfaction in one’s life. “Dead Stars” is a story about the romantic relationships between Alfredo, Esperanza, and Julia Salas. Alfredo, initially embarrassed by his relationship with Julia, eventually falls in love with Julia despite his engagement with Esperanza. Julia congratulates Alfredo on his wedding, forcing him to make a difficult decision: marry Esperanza or choose his own desires. After eight years, Alfredo meets Julia again, but his feelings for her are nonexistent. The story highlights the nature of men who are easy to fall out of love and easily fall in love. Greed, the desire to crowd into a moment and squeeze out the emotions it yields, is a common reason for men to mismanage their lives. Alfredo’s relationship with Esperanza may have been a foundation of love, but it might have been driven by desperation for something titillating, not love. Alfredo’s desire for excitement over his wife ultimately leads him to return to his old routine and desire to be reunited with his wife [17]. The story emphasizes the importance of considering the consequences of choices and the consequences of settling for what one wants, especially in marriage. It emphasizes the importance of pondering deeply before making any decision, as it can lead to a more fulfilling life. In “Dead Stars,” Alfredo Salazar, a young attorney from a respectable family, faces the decision to choose between two women: Esperanza and Julia Salas. He is in love with Esperanza but feels no spark or magic between them. However, he decides to marry Esperanza, sacrificing his love with Julia and embracing the fruit of the current situation. The story is told in third person point of view and is structured in three sections. Alfredo meets Julia Salas, the niece of his neighbor Judge Del Valle, who offers escape from the oppressive world represented by Esperanza. Julia’s last name, “Salas,” suggests home, but it is an imaginary and temporary solace. Love might not be forever, as Alfredo may lose his love for Esperanza and find another love with Julia, creating bitterness, frustrations, and hopelessness among the women involved. Choosing Esperanza and continuing with the marriage might bring more conflict in the future, as it may result in an unhealthy relationship filled with regrets and unhappiness [18]. On the other hand, choosing Julia Salas over Esperanza may also bring hard times, especially with the unfavorable eye of the public and the risk of Julia not having the same feelings as Alfredo.Alfredo’s decision to choose between Esperanza and Julia Salas is a complex one that requires self-sacrifice and the ability to reflect on emotions and the importance of following one’s heart. Love is patient, kind, and never fails, as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.”Dead Stars” is a short story that explores the nature and beauty of love, as well as the theme of forbidden love. The story revolves around Alfredo Salazar, who is engaged to Esperanza and is expected to marry her. The story highlights the importance of trust, commitment, and devotion in love, as well as the challenges faced by lovers. The story revolves around Alfredo’s infatuation towards Julia Salas and his social responsibility to Esperanza [19]. He may have been consumed by infatuation, which serves as the main conflict in the story. Infatuation can delude someone into thinking that their passion is for the object of one’s affection, until they realize that the object of desire is the idea of foolishness. Love is unpredictable and can be difficult to determine if it is truly love or an imitation of it. Infatuation can delude someone into thinking that the passion is for the object of one’s affection, until they realize that the object of desire is the idea of foolishness. The story emphasizes the importance of making the best decisions and seizing the day, especially in cases like marriage. It is not good for someone to settle for mediocre choices and suffer the consequences at the end. “Dead Stars” is an inspiring story that emphasizes the importance of trust, commitment, and devotion in love. It also highlights the importance of making the best decisions and seizing the day, as we only have one life to live. “Dead Stars” is a melancholic story about Alfredo Salazar, a young man who struggles between traditional Filipino culture and the Americanized Philippines. His family ties are rooted in Spanish mestizo tradition, but his future as a lawyer lies with the Americans. Alfredo’s relationship with Esperanza, a woman associated with the Americans, is marked by a transition to aligning with her values. Julia, on the other hand, is nostalgically associated with the unfettered culture of the Philippines [20]. The conflict between these two cultural forces, the reality of a colonial regime and the nostalgia for independence, affects Alfredo’s life. His struggle to reconcile his passion for Julia and duty to Esperanza shows his fleeting desire for a retreat into a nostalgic and illusory free space. The melancholic despair permeates the story, as Alfredo feels trapped by external forces and internalizes oppression from the outside. The story also highlights the importance of overcoming obstacles in life, such as man vs. circumstances, man vs. society, and man vs. himself. Alfredo faces difficult choices in life and love, often making them more complicated than necessary. The circumstances he faces symbolize the difficulty men face in dealing with their lives, as they often resort to escaping situations without considering the benefits and worth of keeping them. Alfredo’s second conflict reveals his struggle against societal expectations and the fear of judgment and criticism. He makes himself a slave to societal norms, sacrificing his happiness and contentment [21]. To avoid this conflict, Alfredo must regain his ideals and principles, pursue his noble dream, and reject his confusion in making the right decision. He should focus on the one that offers freedom and forget the things that bother him. This will help him display the good characteristic that every man should possess in dealing with difficulties in life. Men are expressive in terms of actions and feelings, but their weakness lies in committing to their promises [22]. They often struggle with uncertainties and difficulties, seeking excitement and hedonistic pursuits. By expressing their true feelings and making someone feel cared for, Alfredo can overcome his conflicts and achieve true happiness and satisfaction. The interpretation of a story in the teaching of Filipino literature to students can lead to various contemporary implications. These include freedom in interpretation, expression of personal understanding, discovery of unexpected meaning, making arguments, enjoyment, and gaining honor. Teachers and students can strengthen their relationship by avoiding rejection and discrimination of ideas. Improving teaching methods can motivate students to adapt critical and creative thinking by providing exciting literary activities [23]. Teachers can also be motivated to exert extra effort to help students acquire necessary knowledge of literary analysis and critical theory for meaningful learning. The study suggested that critical interpretations are greatly dependent on readers’ understanding and beliefs, offering rich information that enriches their knowledge and interest in studying literature. It can also boost their interest in reading and applying their critical and creative thinking on the text. Life and learning illuminate literature just as much as literature illuminates life. Various interpretations are acceptable as long as they respect the literary text and represent a reasonable approach. Reading a piece of literary work can lead to a sense of happiness, fulfillment, learning, satisfaction, and achievement. Overall, the interpretation of a story in the teaching of Filipino literature can lead to a more meaningful and engaging learning experience for students [24]. This teaching guide in literature focuses on exposing the unconscious minds of students during reading, aiming to uncover internal contradictions or inconsistencies in the text. The guide uses a sample literary piece, “Dead Stars,” and a literary criticism theory called Post-Structuralism by Jacques Derrida. Students are encouraged to identify techniques for exposing disunities, implied information, and factors that could create multiplicities in meaning, read and analyze the text against itself, and display appreciation for the beauty of a literary piece and meaningful learning [25]. The study included guidelines in analysis, such as looking for assumptions, tension between the spirit and the letter of the text, considering the dynamic and static elements of meaning, making the text irrelevant, considering individual elements of the text, looking for puns and words with double meaning, hunting for overlooked explanations for definitions, pushing back against the authority of the author, embracing ambiguity, playfulness, and contradictions, examining the text in another order, resisting Western cultural binaries, and applying post-structuralist to any text. This teaching guide provides students with an opportunity to uncover their unconscious minds on the dimensions of text, implied meanings, and information that they might fail to recognize during reading. By analyzing the text against itself, students can create interesting and unexpected results and demonstrate appreciation for the beauty of a literary piece and the meaningful learning that the theory could offer. The text provides a guide for students to analyze a short story, “Dead Stars,” using post-structuralist analysis. Students are given a copy of the story and asked to identify the seven elements. They are divided into seven groups, each with a specific element to focus on. The analysis is divided into five groups: Characterization, Setting, Plot, Point of View, Theme, Tone, and Conflict. The guide encourages students to decode the world around them.

4. CONCLUSION

By examining the narrative using Post-Structuralist Analysis, the study aimed to create a literary guide that can be useful for literature professors and students alike. The Post-Structuralist Analysis offered the required framework for producing a new literary interpretation or analysis. It provides a clear method by which one may examine certain aspects of literary work in the interpretation. Though not very exact or remarkable, the procedure and outcome were pretty fascinating as they highlighted the importance of literary criticism in the enjoyment of a particular work. Through a rigorous and thorough literary examination, the researcher discovered, one may be educated about the actual score of the narrative. The researcher appreciated Post-Structuralist Analysis in examining the narrative “Dead Stars”. By exposing children to a realistic vision of reality and Filipino literature, the study exposes them to both aspects of literature. Literature teachers can use the findings to enhance their critical thinking skills and persuasion abilities, while students can appreciate the narrative as a trigger for creative thinking and appreciation. The findings of this study would alert college officials of the benefits of students’ literature courses, promoting the need to enhance library holdings, support seminars, trainings, and literary competitions, and strengthen students’ creative thinking and self-esteem. Literature lovers can benefit from the study’s insights, as it helps them understand literature better and encourages them to read literature for personal enrichment and intellectual and aesthetic appreciation. The study uses qualitative design, particularly the post-structuralist approach, to analyze the narrative of “Dead Stars.” The study revealed the researcher’s subjective perspective and assessment of the many assertions made about the narrative. The study was focused on rigorous readings of the short tale, focusing on incidents genuinely occurring in real life. The study offered teachings that can be appreciated by students, young lovers, parents, spouses, and wives, dealing with people’s core emotions, fundamental truths, and universal circumstances.

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