Reflection Paper: Dead Stars

Laurence Palileo                                                                  HUMALIT C35

11325321                                                                Mr. Casaje

Reflection Paper: DEAD STARS

                Sadness, regret, lost of time, misery, what-ifs, wasted opportunities, wasted youth, and wasted dreams are some of the words that I’ve used to sum up Paz Marquez Benitez “DEAD STARS”. I was quickly engulfed in the plot and the idea of her story because her story represents the situation of most men who are committed in serious relationships, but who are easily infatuated in an “idea,” or in a “dream” (in Alfredo’s case that “dream” is Julia.) Most men think of the what-ifs instead of focusing on the present; a significant quote in the story emphasizes this situation, “… sacrificing possible future ecstasy to the craving for immediate excitement.” When the time comes that a man has settled with a woman, there is a chance for infidelity. Why? I do believe that this happens because of a man’s mentality of playing safe and not taking risks while he was young, when a man, deep in his thoughts of the what-ifs; the things that could have been, and his action of not “jumping” or “grabbing” the opportunities which results to remorse, regret, and despair. Most people think that the victim of the story was Esperanza or Julia, or both, but I think it was Alfredo who was the victim of life’s cruel circumstances. The pressure of being a man, the pressure of being successful, the pressure of providing, and the pressure of succeeding in a career is very hard in the American Era (up to now) that it takes a toll upon one’s time here on earth, thus wasting his youth and not enjoying life to the fullest. To Alfredo, I believe it was all work and no play in his youth. Love is unfair. Alfredo, Esperanza, and Julia were all victims of this strange and unexplainable feeling that we call love. It was love that made Alfredo dream and reach for “dead stars”, it was love that made Esperanza cling on, and it was love that made Julia hope. Love has a way of messing and screwing up with our lives that we end up hating our life, but love is the best teacher that we could ever have in our life. Love teaches us to be a better person, love teaches us to appreciate and understand others, love teaches us how to give back, and offer that love to those who really deserve it.