Emma Goldman, a feminist anarchist, is called in the middle of the night to assist the delivery of a baby in a poor family, with many mouths to feed. She tries to alleviate the suffering of the woman in labour. Back home, she is confronted by her partner Ed, exhausted by her absences. Forced to choose between her love for him and her activism, she writes the influencial speech "The Tragedy of Female Emancipation" (1906).