A feudal estate on the coast of Normandy at the beginning of the 19th century: Freshly graduated from the convent school, young Jeanne can hardly wait to explore the wide world. She is delighted when the handsome Julien de Lamare chooses her as his wife. However, the wedding night is a shock for Jeanne, who has been raised in naivety and dependency. During the honeymoon, she must also realize that she has married an unbearable miser. And these are just the first in a long series of disappointments. "It became clear to her that she had nothing left to do," it is said about Jeanne shortly after her wedding. In his 1883 novel, Maupassant captures the marital situation of wealthy women at the time and the uselessness of a social class. The portrayal of female psychology and sexuality is strikingly exceptional.