It presents the social, political, and cultural life of people in Caracas with a defeatist attitude, where all hope of salvation has been abandoned.

The central theme of the novel is the character Alberto Soria's failure in his effort to assert his ideals as an artist in Venezuela against a backdrop of the country's total decadence.

Next he finds out about the drama surrounding his sister Rosa who is married to Uribe, a man of low social status who is fond of games and deceit.

The climax of the crisis occurs when Alberto discovers that in Venezuela his status as an artist is questioned, which incites him to transform himself into a true creator, but he hesitates, assailed by fears and doubts.

Alberto Soria soon suffers an inexplicable change regarding the love that he feels for María Almeida and begins to experience strange mood swings due to unfounded jealousy, a product of his own mind.

The fourth part of the novel narrates the start and the evolution of the love between Alberto Soria and Teresa Farías, a strange and adulterous woman.