François and Isa,nearing fifty ,live a routine life ;we never see them work,but we guess they belong to the middle class;they don't seem to have any children ,although there are bizarre hints sometimes.François goes through a crisis of confidence and a crisis of conscience;a very anxious man,"these foolish things" (buying new clothes,DIT,or piano) do not satisfy him anymore and he confides in his best friend .On the other hand, his wife does not seem to really care and she does not open easily. François's best friend (a bachelor) acts as an occasional marriage guidance consultant as well as the philosopher.