The long title of this absurdist story from Fernando Sorrentino neatly summarizes the plot. The only other thing readers need to know is that the protagonist reaches the point where he does not think he can live without the torment of the “umbrella man”. I have seen a number of metaphoric interpretations of the story. Most involve successfully dealing with the constant pressures (deadlines, annoyances and interruptions) of modern life. A more concerning interpretation is our growing indifference towards things we know to be wrong (e.g. third-world hunger and disease) as a result of being reminded about them so often.
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