It takes place during the Indonesian war of independence and tells the story of Guru Isa, a schoolteacher who assists the guerrilla freedom fighters yet lives in fear.

The Indonesian war for independence is raging, and before that the Japanese occupiers had created terror amongst the populace; his fear is so great that for years he has become unable to have an erection.

A while later, Guru Isa and Hazil are tasked with throwing a grenade at a crowd of soldiers dispersing from a movie theatre.

After being captured by the Dutch forces and staying silent through torture, Guru Isa meets with Hazil in the prison and learns that he had confessed "after just a slap to the head".

Guru Isa, the main character, is an elementary school teacher who enjoys music and association football.

However, due to the stress of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies and the subsequent war for independence, Guru Isa begins to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

[3] A year after its publication by Balai Pustaka in 1952, Jalan Tak Ada Ujung received an award from the Badan Musyawarah Kebudayaan Nasional.