Rosewitha Bronski is a woman trying to make her way in a hostile society. She is a wife and mother, a local abortionist, and a factory worker turned union activist. Rosewitha's life is chaotic: her children scream for attention; her demanding husband is unemployed; the factory is in the midst of relocating; and doctors don't pay their referral fees. Her story is told in a cool, episodic style that makes use of voiceover and inserts to comment on her choices.