This is the story of a family from Naples dominated by the father’s personality, the builder Vincenzo Maresca. When his wife Lucia falls ill, their children get together around her bed. Marco, who lives far away from Naples, is especially influenced by the dramatic events of his childhood: his father’s obsessive religious feelings, his mother’s adultery, and his parents’ separation. All these events caused him to suffer a neurosis that did not allow him to be totally himself, as he is overcome by memories and persecutory dreams. Through flashbacks, while Lucia’s illness worsens and she finally dies, the texture of family ties becomes clearer, and it is complete when Marco realizes that his desire to see the family reunited has prevented him from living his life fully.