John Lindstrom is a hopeful man who has thus far managed to shake off his failures and be optimistic about life. He is deeply sensitive and often mocked by his colleagues, an ordeal from which he is thankfully rescued by a sharp salesman named Farley. Lindstrom is a trusting man, and Farley is able to take advantage of his gratitude to borrow money from him without ever intending to return it. Farley introduces Lindstrom to Sandra, a woman that he falls in love with only to learn that she is cheating on him with Farley, and that he is being conned by two of his closest friends. Feeling angry and misanthropic, Lindstrom is determined to leave civilization behind and live undisturbed on an island forever. He goes to Tahiti but is unable to find the peaceful paradise he seeks until his new friend Jorgensen takes him to the uninhabited Coral Islands. In this longed-for solitude, Lindstrom builds a new life and is happy. Everything is as he imagined it would be until two Japanese soldiers wash up on his island, having survived a naval battle in the vicinity. Lindstrom is unaware of the recent events of the Second World War, but he ends up killing the two men because they shoot at him and raid his house. This murder of 'the enemy' earns him fame and a commendation from the United States army; encouraged by their warm reception, he slowly re-enters society. Lindstrom gets a job but unfortunately finds history repeating itself. His co-workers mock him relentlessly, and he is once again taken under the wing of a 'friend' that borrows large amounts of money - Mr. Porterfield - who also introduces him to a woman, Jeanne, with whom he knows he will eventually fall in love. This time, however, Lindstrom does not fight the outcome. He continues to lavish his kindness upon both Jeanne and Mr. Porterfield, knowing that they love each other and not him; he tells himself that all he can do is hope that things might be different this time.