A suburban housewife begins to experience a severe allergic reaction to the world around her. First come itching and drowsiness, followed by more serious physical deterioration. In desperation, the protagonist immerses herself completely in a world of people with similar problems. Perhaps the illness is the result of the woman’s overactive imagination or a byproduct of her monotonous existence. Panic gradually takes hold of the housewife as she begins to realize that everything she knows—her home, her family, her daily responsibilities—will have to be sacrificed in order to preserve her health.