In an unnamed town in 1916, the daily routine of teaching at a diocesan school reveals the tensions in human relationships and the influence of social standing. Events unfold through the eyes of Kelekyan, the supervisor, whose complacency and contempt for the pupils stand in contrast to his inability to examine his own conduct. An official decision becomes an occasion to see how personal resentment, the pursuit of authority, and self-justification complicate school life.