The crime

Think long, without false perfection, before writing your report, what will you write? I said with annoyance: I will write that all values are wasted but security is stable! Always, Naguib Mahfouz writes, keeping his country's concerns in mind; his political, economic, and social worries. He wrote about all these concerns in this short story collection that gathered eight stories, each carrying a different concern, narrated with reflection and patience. In "Room No. 12," he presents in a very sarcastic and mocking style the extent of corruption prevalent in this country. The story "The Crime" is filled with many symbols; here, the crime is a symbol of the defeat of 1967, and Mahfouz sees everyone as partners in the defeat, either actively or by silence. As for the story "Hello," it pointed to the overwhelming wealth that some enjoyed after July 1952, through the character of the sheikh and the shoe-shiner. He began these eight stories with the play "The Pursuit," which symbolizes the pursuit of death for humans.