Professor Ludovico Bruschi is an elderly Communist whose desire is that of living in an orderly and socially just State. But disorder is just about to break into his life, first of all in the shape of his granddaughter Papere and then in that of Papere's mother Stella, his son's companion. The relationship between Oliviero, Bruschi's son, and Stella has come to an end perhaps because of the extreme youth of the two lovers. Now Professor Bruschi is obliged to come to terms with the gloomy, ignorant, offended Stella whose head is full of false and destructive ideals and who disturbs his way of living out daily life. The professor loses his patience and Stella leaves. He looks for her and finds her in hospital with a broken leg. The two of them begin to grow close and then, without realizing it, they come to love each other immensely. Stella's leg gets better and she goes off to look for new relationships, new experiences, while the Professor goes on waiting for her: and all this in the presence of Papere, too young to understand.