A young teacher on probation at a provincial university. The only “living soul” in a world of dull snobbery and meaningless rules of behavior. Jim Dixon is sick of this, but he wants to get hired! So, you have to be like everyone else. Write articles on ridiculous topics. Attend the most boring cocktails. Indulge students who are lucky enough to become the favorites of one of the local luminaries - even if they are at least three times untalented. But one day love invades Jim’s life - and all his conformist endeavors go to hell overnight...