David Sumner, Also a mild-mannered academic by the United States, marries an Englishwoman, Amy. In order to escape a busy stateside life style, David and his wife re locate to the small town in rural Cornwall at which Amy had been increased. There, David is ostracized by the brutish men of the village, including Amy's old fire, Charlie. Finally the taunts escalate, and two of those locals rape Amy. This sexual attack awakes a brutal facet of David.