Under the umbrella

This collection of stories was written immediately after the 1967 setback, in which Naguib Mahfouz monitors the reasons that led to the setback from his point of view, and reveals the mistakes that led the country to this tragic defeat. He also depicts the political chaos and rampant corruption in society during this confusing period. The collection consists of six short stories and five plays loaded with suggestions and symbols. In the story "Under the Umbrella," Mahfouz expresses the absurdity of the public scene and its overwhelming chaos through the absurd. An extremely absurd scene watched by a group of people standing under an umbrella. Their only role is to watch and comment without making any effort to resist the absurdity or intervene to stop it. Rather, they claim that the scene must be unreal. This is what was on the minds of many Egyptians during the setback due to their inability to comprehend.