In 1930s London, Gordon Comstock is the star copywriter of an illustrious London advertising firm. When he impulsively quits his job to write poetry and be a "free man," Rosemary despairs of ever persuading Gordon to marry her and settle down. When Gordon comes to realize that true happiness is in the heart, Rosemary triumphs, but not before Orwell affectionately lampoons the ironies and hypocrisies within us all.