[1][2] Bertrand Barabi (Henri Guybet) is a French teacher and deputy supervisor in a school in province.
Bertrand Barabi lives for the sake of miss Thuillier, professor of French.
Dominique Benech (Claude Jade), his lonely neighbor, piano teacher and mother of one of his pupils, who has tender feelings for him, asks him to tutor her son Michel (Mathieu Vermesh).
Excited after reading a text by Bertrand, Dominique encourages him to write the novel "Le Pion" (The Pawn).
With his pseudonym, Bertrand remains anonymous, but journalists are quick to reveal the identity of the "Prix Goncourt".