A Critical Analysis of the Short Story Dead Stars by Paz Marquez Benitez using Formalist Approach

     “Did you ever have to choose between something you wanted to do and something you had to do?” The poem/short story “Dead Stars” by Paz Marquez Benitez is about the main character Alfredo, who struggles to remain faithful towards the woman he’s engaged to. This woman is named Esperanza. An optimistic and positive person who, no matter the excuse her fiance would bring up in regards to him not being able to come home, would not think much of it, and would usually shrug it off. Julia was Alfredo’s affair. I’d say Julia was a faithful, but clueless person. Yes, she was seeing Alfredo while he was practically engaged with someone else, but that’s because she was yet to see the entire picture. The story is set in the houses of the Judge and Don Julian, and is written from an omniscient point of view. Characters in the story that have minor roles include Judge Del Valle, Don Julian, and Carmen.      The story starts off with Carmen and Don Julian making an at...