The hero of the novel is a doctor who sees only a source of income in patients. Why is cynicism a way of life? Did the attitude of his relatives towards him determine his choice or does modern society not need sympathetic and sensitive people? By planting mercantile goals, it kills admiration for the highest value - human life. The book touches upon the topics of psychological manipulation in the domestic and professional spheres, the simplification of mass psychology and the relevance of finding an answer to the question: "Who am I and why do I live?"