The author Tom Berger has written a book that is very prejudiced against women. The local chapter of Women's League starts a campaign against him.

A young man with a messy background stands trial for car theft. He gets away with a suspended sentence. With the help of a social worker, he gets on the right side of life — until a criminal friend shows up.

Johansson has a small mechanical workshop, which provides for him and his family.

Jan-Erik Widgren meets the lonely Bertha Olsson, a woman struggling with alcoholism. Though Bertha is already linked to Caligula, Jan-Erik's heartless teacher, she begins a relationship with the boy anyway. When Caligula learns that Jan-Erik is having an affair with Bertha, he begins to torture his student psychologically. He reserves his cruelest behavior for Bertha, however, which results in a tragic turn of events.

Proud Katrina falls in love with Johan, who's a sailor, and follows him home to the island of Åland. She has been promised a paradise with blooming apple trees but are greeted by poverty and hard work.