Hanneh Breineh raised her six children in the slums of New York City alongside her long-suffering neighbor, Mrs. Pelz, who endured Hanneh's endless rants about her horrible life. Now, Hanneh lives in a palatial townhouse, and her children are wildly successful; through hard work and intelligent investing, Hanneh and her oldest son have managed to catapult their family into a very different economic bracket. However, Hanneh finds herself no happier surrounded by wealth and riches. After many years of verbal abuse and hysterics, her children dislike and avoid her, sending her money and gifts rather than their love. Frustrated and upset, Hanneh confides in Mrs. Pelz, who is less sympathetic after the many years. She still lives in squalor alongside her husband, barely scraping together enough money to eat and survive. She's furious that Hanneh can be so miserable when she has everything she could want - except for a child's love. At Hanneh's insisting, Mrs. Pelz agrees to let her stay a night in her slum apartment. Hanneh is astonished by the uncomfortableness of her old lifestyle and realizes she cannot return to the slums because she has been softened by years of luxury. She returns to her opulent solitude in angry and sorrowful tears.