[3] The radical author Olav Klungeland feels divided and inadequate both as a writer, as a politician, and as a fellow human being.
He gradually becomes more acquainted with a former priest, Eilif Grøtteland, who comes from a small place in the southwest and lives in a hotel in Oslo at the same time as his wife is in the hospital, sick with cancer.
In the postwar period, the priest's own brother Lars was affected by the treason settlement, and indirectly himself.
During a celebration on May 1, the author Olav is expected to give a fiery speech about the liberating power of socialism.
The older man's account makes up most of the story, about his encounters with various people that have meant a lot to his development and attitudes.