ROP

ISPSC
IOT

Ariel john M. Esmeralda Mr. Marvin M. Taer

BSIT-1

I. Title
II. Author
III. Summary
IV. Comprehension
A. Setting
B. Characters with their roles and description
 C. Plot
a. Exposition or introduction
b. Rising action
c. Climax
d. Falling action
e. Resolution
V. Conventions

Title: The Dead Stars

Author: Márquez-Benítez (1894–1983) was a Filipina short-story writer.

Summary: The story revolves around Alfredo Salazar, a bachelor over thirty, and two women:
Esperanza, his fiancée of four years, and a young girl from out-of-town named Julia Salas.
Everyone takes it for granted that Alfredo will eventually marry Esperanza. But although he is
ashamed to admit it, the intensity of his passion for Esperanza has faded and he is attracted to
Julia, whom he meets at a dinner party. But he is aware that all his loved ones-including Julia-
would disapprove of his failure to honor his understanding with Esperanza. So he and Esperanza
get married and have a family. Then, eight years later, he goes on a business trip to the town
where Julia, still unmarried, lives. He goes to visit Julia, whom he has never forgotten. But he is
surprised to find that he no longer feels attracted to her. He compares the memory of his love for
her to dead stars, whose glow is still visible from the earth for years after they are gone.

Setting
Don Julian’s house- Carmen was asking Don Julian about Alfredo’s wedding. Alfredo
remembered that period with a wonder not unmixed with shame. That was less than four years
ago. He could not understand those months of a great hunger that was not of the body nor yet of
the mind, a craving that had seized on him one quiet night when the moon was abroad and under
the dappled shadow of the trees in the plaza, manhood maid. Judge Del Valle’s house- Alfredo
went ‘neighboring with Don Julian. This is when he met Julia Salas. Don Julian and his
uncommunicative friend, the Judge, were absorbed in a game of chess. So he and Julia went
outside and talked. Don Julian’s house in Tanda where there are coconut plantations and a
beach.- After the merienda, Don Julian sauntered off with the judge to show him what athriving
young coconut looked like--"plenty of leaves, close set, rich green"--while the children,
convoyed by Julia Salas, found unending entertainment in the rippling sand left by the ebbing
tide. Alfredo left his perch on the bamboo ladder of the house and followed. Alfredo and Julia
had a very long conversation and told each other about themselves Calle Real- After the parade
for The Lady Of Sorrows Alfredo caught up with Julia in Calle Real.Julia congratulated him for
his upcoming wedding ironically. They were walking until the gravel road lay before them; at the
roads end the lighted windows of the house on the hill. There swept over the spirit of Alfredo
Salazar a longing so keen that it was pain, a wish that, that house were his, that all the
bewilderments of the present were not, and that this woman by his side were his long wedded
wife, returning with him tothe peace of home.Sta. Cruz- Sta. Cruz was Julia’s hometown.
Alfredo was searching for Brigida Samuy, a ladyimportant for his defense in the court. Knowing
that this place was Julia’s home town ,he thought of his marriage. He was not unhappy. He went
to Julia’s house. He saw her She asked him about the home town, about this and that, in a sober,
somewhat meditative tone. He conversed with increasing ease, though with a growing wonder
that he should be there at all. He could not take his eyes from her face. The time of the story is
the Lenten Season because they are celebrating the holy week proven by the procession they
made with the Our Lady of Sorrow.

Characters
Alfredo Salazar - son of Don Julian, a more than 30 years old man and a bachelor. He isengaged
to Esperanza but him still fleeting to Julia Salas.Esperanza - wife of Alfredo Salazar. She is a
homely woman, literal minded and intenselyacquisitive. She is one of those fortunate women
who have the gift of uniformly beauty.Julia Salas - sister-in-law of Judge Del Valle. She is the
other girl of Alfredo Salazar thatremains single in her entire life.Don Julian - an old man, a father
of Alfredo Salazar and Carmen.Carmen - sister of Alfredo Salas.Judge Del Valle - brother-in-law
of Julia Salas.Donna Adella -- sister of Julia Salas. She is small and plump, a pretty woman with
acomplexion of a baby with a expression of a likeable cow.Calixta - note-carrier of Alfredo
Salazar and Esperanza.Dionisio - husband of Donna Adella.Vicente - husband of
Carmen.Brigida Samuy - She is the illusive woman whose Alfredo is looking for.

Plot
Introduction
At Don Julian’s house Carmen was asking Don Julian about Alfredo and Esperanza.
Alfredo reminiscence how he met Julia Salas. Difficult situation. Would he choose what he
WANTS to? Or would he choose what he HAS to?
Rising action
He had gone neighboring with Don Julian to judge Del Valle’s house. He met Julia Salas. All the
time he was calling her Mrs. Del Valle, which led him to embarrassment. Coming to the judge’s
house became often. Then he realized he was in love with Julia in spite his engagement with
Esperanza.
Climax
After the procession for the Lady of sorrows, Alfredo caught up with Julia. It was when Julia
found out about Alfredo’s wedding so he congratulated him. Alfredo needs to make a very
difficult situation. Would he choose what he wants to? Or would he choose what he has to?
Falling action
Julia didn’t want Alfredo not to honor his understanding with Esperanza. She said goodbye. He
went home to Esperanza. And there, the last word has been said.
Resolution
Alfredo and Esperanza got married. After eight years, he was searching for a lady named Brigida
Samuy, a lad unimportant for his defense in the court in Sta. Cruz, Julia’s Hometown. He went to
Julia’s house and he found her there. Still unmarried. And he realized that his love for Julia was
like a Dead Star. It was non-existence.
Conflict
Man Vs. the circumstances
In the story, Alfredo struggles against the fate and the circumstances of life and love facing him.
He needs to face problems in choosing between difficult choices of his life.
Pont of View
Third person point of view
The author tells the story in third person (using pronouns they, she, he, it, etc.) We know only
what the character knows and what the author allows him/her to tell us. We can see the thoughts
and felling the characters if the author choses to reveal them to us.
Theme
The story “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez is conveying the theme that pertains to
forbidden love. It says that forbidden love is apparent, and its banes haunt the person until such
time that he realizes his faults.

Question and Answer:

1. Why do you think Alfredo hesitate from marrying Esperanza?
2. From the Description of Julia, Alfredo surely isn’t in love at first sight, so what draws
Alfredo to Julia?
3. IS Julia innocent by stander in this situation with Alfredo?
4. After eight years, seeing Julia again, what does Alfredo realize? Why such realization?
5. Do you Believe that Julia stays unmarried because of Alfredo? Why or Why not?
6. This story was published in 1925, why do you think “DEAD STARS” withstands the test
of time?

1. Alfredo was hesitant to marry Esperanza at first because he was not sure if their marriage
will be happy. Before he met Julia, he was confused with his feelings and after meeting
Julia, the more that he became confused. A clue that he was hesitant was he wasn’t
specific with the date of their wedding. If someone is sure to be tied to someone, he
should have been organized and planned out everything. It was also mentioned that at the
beginning Alfredo was very sweet to Julia but he slowly became cold and aloof to Julia.
2. Alfredo was not really in love with Julia in the first sight. And he wasn’t attracted to her
just because of her beauty but because of her distinctive grace of her tantalizing charm
and of her inner quality, her naturalness, her alert vitality of mind and body, of her
thoughtfulness, sunny temper, and her piquant perverseness which is sauce to charm
3. Yes. We can say that Julia is merely an innocent by stander in the situation because she
wasn’t aware not informed hat Alfredo was engaged to Esperanza or to anyone. She
thought that Alfredo was free. We can also say this because she didn’t do anything but to
ignore and distant herself to Alfredo after knowing the truth.
4. Alfredo realized that his love for Julia was like a dead star, it was non-existence. He
realized it because when he talked to her, he was undisturbed and it seems like their spark
was gone
 5. Yes. Julia was evidently still in love with Alfredo after 8 years of their meeting. It was as
if that Julia did not move on from Alfredo after all those years. Her cheeks still flushed, a
sign that she still feels something towards Alfredo. The stares of Alfredo still means
something to her.
6. Dead Stars, though an old story, still touches the heart of many who needs it because it is
true to life. Many people are fond or most likely engaged to what they call “short lived
love” some people easily gets attracted and attracted to someone, realizing in the end that
it wasn’t really love but just merely an attraction. One of the reason that the story Dead
Stars withstands the test of time unending things in the world.

Title: The fence

Author: JOSE GARCIA VILLA (August 5, 1908 – February 7, 1997) was a Filipino poet,
literary critic, short story writer, and painter, awarded the National Artist of the Philippines title
for literature in 1973, as well as the Guggenheim Fellowship in creative writing by Conrad
Aiken. He is known to have introduced the "reversed consonance rhyme scheme" in writing
poetry, as well as the extensive use of punctuation marks—especially commas, which made him
known as the Comma Poet. He used the penname Doveglion (derived from "Dove, Eagle,
Lion"), based on the characters he derived from himself.
Summary:
The setting is reflective of the kind of characters and the situation they would be in. The
nipa huts look desolate and empty, reflective of how their occupants behave and feel for
each other. They have no neighbors and yet the need for each other seems remote and distant.
Hatred overrules. They are most afraid one of them would give way. The building of the fence
seems necessary to protect themselves from each other. Hatred comes from a betrayal-- when
Aling Biang caught her husband with Aling Sebia, the childless widow. Biang could not forgive.
Aling Sebia seems not remorseful as she matches the anger and hatred of Aling Biang. The
husband left without a word and never came back. He is part of the mess, but left it unsettled.
The vegetable rows that used to separate the nipa huts are slowly dying. The owners are
afraid that if they watered thevegetables, they would also at the same time nurture the plants
of the other. This seems reflective of their unwillingness toforgive and live again.Aling Sebia is
going to deliver a child. Aling Biang is the only person who could help her. This could have been
an opportunity for reconciliation, but after Aling Biang helps her there is complete silence.The
hatred goes on like a curse. The children of the two women grow unhealthy and ugly. Aling
Biang implants hatred in Iking's heart, although Iking feels otherwise.It is the very first music in
his life. Although the notes are not complete, Iking likes to hear it.When he reaches fifteen,
he stops sleeping beside his mother. He wants to sleep by the door where he could hear theguitar
being played. He is beginning to show signs of protest, but he is physically weak.This time he
knows it is the girl who plays the guitar. He wants to destroy the fence that is starting to decay.
However, his mother reinforces the decaying stakes which had been weathered by time.The
guitar stops playing. It is Christmas. They pray and yet Iking doubts if his mother could really
pray.Again, Iking wants the girl to play the guitar -- and he tells her this as he whispersthrough
the bamboo fence. He is happy when the girl appears to have heard and understood him.Iking
waits, but he is afraid the fence has reached her heart. Nevertheless, he waits because there is no
fence in his heart. Then he died. The guitar plays a few minutes after Iking died. Now, the
musical notes are completed. Alling Biang, on the other hand, finds the playing of the guitar a
mockery. His death does not soften her heart. The fence remains strengthened.

Setting
Old house on the roadside, so brown were the nipa leaves that walled and roofed them that they
looked musty, gloomy. The setting is reflective of the kind of characters and the situation they
would be in. The nipa huts look desolate and empty, reflective of how their occupants behave
and feel for each other. They have no neighbors and yet the need for each other seems remote
and distant. They stood there on the roadside, they two alone, neighborless but for themselves,
and they were like two stealthy shadows, each avid to betray the other. Queer old houses. So
brown were the nipa leaves that walled and roofed them that they looked musty, gloomy. One
higher than the other, pyramid-roofed, it tried to assume the air of mastery, but in vain. For
though the other was low, wind-bent, supported without by luteous bamboo poles against the
aggressiveness of the weather, it had its eyes to stare back as haughtily as the other—windows as
desolate as the souls of the occupants of the house, as sharply angular as the intensity of their
hatred.
Characters
Aling Biang - unforgiving woman who was betrayed by her husband with her neighbor 
Aling Sebia - a childless widow/ aling Biang's neighbor who has not seen a feeling of remorse
having caught with her neighbor's husband 
Iking - aling Biang's son who wanted his mom to reconcile with their neighbor 
Aling Sebia's Daughter - a girl who is good in playing guitar that made Iking to fall in love 
Aling Biang's husband - a man who left unsettled with his wife

Plot
Introduction
The story opened with the description of the setting and how the characters are reflected in the
setting. "They should have stood apart, away from each other, those two nipa houses." "There
should have been a lofty impenetrable wall between them, so that they should not stare so coldly,
so starkly, at each other—just staring, not saying a word, not even a cruel word. "

Rising Action
The next morning she had gone to the bamboo clumps near the river Pasig and felled canes with
her woman strength. When morning dawned she rose and went back to the back of the house
although very tired and began to split the bamboos. Her husband noticed her, but said nothing.
By noon, Aling Biang had built that fence. Two tanned country-women finished the fence from
the opposites to centerward.

Climax
But early one night, from beyond the fence, Aling Biang heard cries from Aling Sebia.
Unwilling to pay any heed to them, she extinguished the light of the petrol kinke and laid herself
down beside Ikeng. But, in spite of all, the cries of the other woman made her uneasy. She stood
up, went to the window that faced the fence, and cried from there: “What is the matter with you,
Aling Sebang? “AlingBiang, please go the town and get me a hilot (midwife).” “What do you
need a hilot for?” asked AlingBiang. “I am going to deliever a child and I am alone. Please go,
fetch a hilot.” AlingBiang stood there by the window a long time. She knew when child it was
that was coming as the child of Aling Sebia. She stood motionless, the wind brushing her face
coldly. What did she care of AlingSebia was to undergo childbirth? She decided to lie down and
sleep. Her body struck against her child’s as she did so, and the child moaned. The other child,
too, could be moaning like that. Like her child from the womb of AlingSebia. Hastily
AlingBiang stood up, wound her tapiz round her waist, covered her shoulders with a cheap
shawl.

Falling action
The boy Iking was not allowed to play by the roadside. And he could just catch glimpses
of a girl on the other side. This made the boy to secretly sneak to the other side of the fence. At
night, he hears an incomplete sound of a guitar he knew coming from the other side. Check this
out! At night, as he lay on the bamboo floor, notes of a guitar would reach his ears. The notes
were metallic, clanking, and at the middle of the nocturne they stopped abruptly. Who played the
raucous notes? Who played the only music he had ever heard in his life? And why did the player
never finish his music? he asked. And one night, Iking approached her and said: “I will sleep by
the door, nanay. I want to sleep alone. I am grownup. I am fifteen.” One morning Ikeng woke up
with a disturbing sound. He saw his mother reinforcing and strengthening the fence. “Why-
why!” he exclaimed in protest. His mother stopped hammering. She stared at him cruelly. “I
need it,” she declared forcefully, the veins on her forehead rising out clearly. “Your mother
needs it. You need it too.” Denouement Iking really wanted his mother to allow him at least
listen to the music but he was never granted even though that night was Christment and both of
them prayed for the lord. Even after the Christmas eve, Ikeng was still waiting for the guitar to
be played because he is hearing that sound on that time. But it never played. Until 2am when
Ikeng's eyes were closed and his hands were cold. So sick he rested that night. At 3am, the guitar
was played and finally finished its playing but aling Biang was very angry, shouting that the
guitar playing was a mock because his son is already dead.
Resolution
Iking really wanted his mother to allow him at least listen to the music but he was never
granted even though that night was Christmas and both of them prayed for the lord. Even after
the Christmas eve, Iking was still waiting for the guitar to be played because he is hearing that
sound on that time. But it never played. Until 2am when Ikeng's eyes were closed and his hands
were cold. So sick he rested that night. At 2:03am, the guitar was played and finally finished its
playing but aling Biang was very angry, shouting that the guitar playing was a mock because his
son is already dead.

Point of View
Third person point of view

The narrator is not part of the story and can give feedback and comments from different
character.
Theme
Aling Biang and Aling Seba are most afraid one of them would give way. The building of the
fence seems necessary to protect themselves from seeing each other.

Question and Answer:

1. What is the symbolism of the bamboo fence?
2. What kind of woman is Aling Biang?
3. What kind of person is Aling Sebia?
4. Why can’t Aling Biang communicate with his husband about she knows?
5. What significance is the Fence to Iking’s life and his growth
 6. From the few references to the girl on the other side of the fence, does she knows the
truth?
a. What is her life-like?
b. What is the symbolism of the guitar?
And the music

Title: The Small Key

Author:Paz Latorena was born in Boac, Marinduque in 1907. At a young age she was brought to
Manila where she completed her basic schooling, first at St. Scholastica and later at South High
School. In 1925 she enrolled at the University of the Philippines for a degree in education.
Working by day as an elementary school teacher, she attended evening classes. One of these was
a short story writing class conducted by Mrs. Paz Marquez Benitez. It was not long before Mrs.
Benitez invited Latorena to write a column in the Philippines Herald, of which she was then
literary editor. In 1927 Latorena joined some campus writers to form the U.P. Writers Club and
contributed a short story, “A Christmas Tale” to the maiden issue of “The Literary Apprentice.
That same year, her short story “The Small Key” won third place in Jose Garcia Villa’s Roll of
Honor for the year’s best short stories. Some of her other stories received similar prizes over the
next several years.
Summary:
It is about a woman who named Soledad who is married to a man named Pedro Buhay. They live
on a farm. One morning Soledad finds herself knowing that the farm will produce plenty but that
she still had some inner feeling of discontent. She planned to mend some of her husband’s shirts,
which were in a lock trunk. Pedro took out from his pocket string which held two keys, one large
and shiny and one small and rusty. He gave Soledad the large key to his trunk and put the small
key back in his jacket pocket. Since it was hot that morning, he remove his coat before leaving to
work in the field. When he was gone, Soledad began to fold the jacket and the small key fell to
the floor. It is obvious that Pedro values the small key while Soledad fears it.
Setting
House, backyard, farm
 SYMBOLISM:  Small Key: a small rusty key, has a big meaning in the story because it
served as the object that reminds him of his first wife  Large Key: It represents to Soledad
because she has a power to burnt the clothes of the first wife of Pedro  Trunk: symbolized how
Pedro tried to hide his memories of his dead wife  Dead Wife’s Clothes: the remains served as
the main memories of his past wife  Farm: it represents the feelings of Soledad to the first wife
of Pedro.
Characters
Pedro Buhay - husband of Soledad, also known as Indo.
Soledad- wife of Pedro Buhay, also known as Choleng
Tia Maria- house maid of Indo and Choleng
Dr. Santos- doctor of Soledad

Plot
Introduction
It was warm. The sun up above the sky that was all blue and tremendous Pedro Buhay, a
prosperous farmer, was eating. He is in hurry to get back to work.
Rising action
When Pedro lift the coat containing the small key on the coat’s pocket.
Climax
When Pedro was on the backyard and saw burnt cloth.
Falling action
When Pedro found out that trunk was empty.
Resolution
Soledad was still ill and Pedro was trying not to be angry on Soledad
Theme
" In life people do something to satisfy themselves even when they are fully aware of what the
consequences of their actions will be.“

Question and Answer:

1. How old do you think Pedro and Soledad are?
2. What is the symbolism of the small key?
3. What is the Literal and figurative meaning of Soledad’s fever?
4. Is it impossible to weigh Pedro’s love for his wife and Soledad? Why or Why not?
5. After reading the last paragraph, can the relationship be repaired? Why or why not?
6. Why does this story remain relevant today?

1. I think Pedro is at the age of 25 and Soledad is at the age of 21, because Pedro said at the
2.
3. Soledad’s fever in the literal meaning was because of the heat caused by burning of
clothes and woods. Maybe, her body did not accept the heat that well. In the figurative
meaning, the fever was caused by his jealousy and anger upon seeing that Pedro still
keeps the clothes of his lost wife. The fever is equalized to her heartbreak.
4. It is impossible to compare the love for th living and a dead person. Considering that the
dead person was his former wife, he cannot easily or ever forget her. She has been a great
part of his life, he has been his life. It must be love but for a lost person. His love for
Soledad must be in a different level as his love for his first wife.
5. Based from the last paragraph, repentance and forgiveness are thought by Pedro, proof
that he is willing to understand and accept the explanation of Soledad though that
experience will not be forgotten for the rest of their relationship. In the point of view of
Pedro, their relationship is still repairable.
6. The story is relevant today because there are many relationships which are haunted by the
past. These days, we cannot deny the fact that there are many relationships that are being
destroyed because of third parties specially their “exes”. In the story, we saw that Pedro
still keeps the clothes of his ex-wife and her bitterness caused her outburst making her
burn the clothes. Today, there are also relationships that are relevant to the story,
“bitterness”, “jealousy”, “past” and “exes”, these words made the people relate to the
story of The Small Key.