The Day The Leader Was Killed by Naguib Mahfouz pg 35-66

Summary
Randa's mother Zeinab Hanem comes to Muhtashimi's house, and asks him to help her stop Randa and Elwan from getting married because it is a big mistake and they are not ready. Zeinab believes that love misleads people and that it has become a god. After Muhtashimi talked to Elwan, he decided to break of the engagement with Randa. After he told Randa, she was devastated. Randa told Elwan that she knows he feels she is an obstacle in his way. But from Elwan's prospective, he was setting her free. He felt that he was ruining her future because they were so young. After they both walked back to their building without saying a word to each other, and without saying goodbye. Randa blames her mother for the end of her engagement which makes her feel bad. But Randa's father comes to his wife defence saying that she was not wrong and that Randa won't regret what happen int he future. Randa becomes angry with Elwan. She said that he proved he was weaker than she had imagined. And that he deserves to remain confused and aimless forever. While Elwan wanders sad and aimlessly, Muhtashimi wonders if Elwan considers him resonsible for his unhappiness.
As time goes on Randa and Elwan start to alk again and are able to collaborate at work like two colleagues. Randa also has started to date a new man, Anwar Allam. While eating with her parents, Randa's mother tries to get her to marry Ibrahim Bey, an elderly rich man who owns a mining factory, but Randa refuses. Soon after, Anwar Allam, asks Randa's hand in marriage which her and her parents agrees to. After the engagement party, Randa is with Sanaa in their room where she starts to burt out crying. Randa tells her sister how she is sad because she lost the most precious thing in her life, Elwan.
Quote
"We were divided by silence, a silence heavier than the approching night" (Mahfouz 42).
Reaction
Mahfouz uses the setting and environment to describe the events occuring in his story. Al ot of times he designs them to set the mood of what's going on. In the quote above, Elwan and Randa has just finish breaking off their engagement. Mahfouz adds to the tension by using personification to describe the silence between Elwan and Randa. And then to finish off he lets us know that night time is comming which creates a dark atmosphere.