Luciana, a country girl who has moved to Milan, is married to Mario, an intellectual type who avoids her since an accident forced him to live with his torso permanently in a cast. Lonely and depressed because also of her recent dismissal, she asks for help through a letter and becomes friends with elementary school teacher Anna, who also resents the negativity of her workplace and the world around her. Meanwhile, blue collar worker Marco waits for his fellow paisan Luciana to reciprocate his fee...