Berthe, a pretty young woman, has suffered from a mental disease since she was a child. A doctor has tried for years to understand her behavior and to teach her some basic notions such as those of time and emotional expression. But he also tends to use her as a guinea-pig and does not oppose her parents when they decide to marry her as a way to solve her problems. Unfortunately the cure proves worse than the disease as Berthe's husband, who soon tires of her, abandons her and leaves her more helpless than ever...