A lonely maiden is constantly reminded of her single status, working as an advertiser for a baby bed in New York. Seeking to make something of herself, she takes on both work and love with a passion, but only succeeds in one.

As a woman grows older, she falls into a deep sadness while the men around her constantly tell her to cheer up.

A working-class mother has held only one hope for her entire life: that one day, her daughter would marry well and wealthy, and take care of her in her old age. When her daughter reveals that the man she loves is not wealthy, her mother's dreams of rest are dashed and divided.

When a woman finds her purse stolen, she retraces the steps of her eventful day only to realize that the encounters, and her life as a whole, are empty and purposeless.

A Jewish mother wants her daughter to marry well and have a better life, but her husband doesn't seem to care. After her other daughter passes away, she realizes she should not hesitate to make bigger sacrifices.

A mystic woman rules over her island and recounts the journey she took to get there. From Boston as a young, Black girl to a wealthy French estate owner, nobody can seem to take their eyes off of her.

A middle-aged woman living in the suburbs reflects on three moments in her life that have made her question her understanding of love and sexuality — meeting an expectation-defying girl in her youth, attending a bodybuilding competition with her family, and watching her hairdresser transform into a different person.

Having sacrificed his dream job to financially support his marriage, a man realizes there is sexual tension between his wife and his friend. Ultimately, he makes tough decisions about both his friendship and his marriage.

A woman who is not content with life and fears staying in one place works as a traveling writer, recording her thoughts and interactions on tape recorders and finding different lovers in each place she visits.

Haunted by her father's death caused by cancer, a woman attempts to die by suicide. When her boyfriend's advisor finds out she has stolen cyanide from his lab, she must hide her will to die from her boyfriend.