This is an uneven presentation of the tragedies plaguing the lives of two women from the lower economic strata in Naples. Immacolata is married, is bisexual, and runs a butcher shop that is not bringing in much money. Concetta is a lesbian, doing manual labor and now serving time for taking a potshot at her lover's husband. Immacolata has also been put in jail for guiding a young woman into prostitution. Immacolata and Concetta develop an intensely passionate relationship in prison and after being released, they defy Immacolata's husband and society's scorn by moving in together. But external threats are not as destructive, in the end, as internal contradictions.