Esther feels lost and directionless after her internship in New York

Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old, returns home feeling numb and uncertain about her future after her internship in New York. She is unsure of what she wants to do after college and feels disconnected from her peers. She contemplates different paths and possibilities for her life, but struggles to make a decision. Esther's relationship with her college boyfriend, Buddy Willard, begins to sour after she discovers his infidelity. She decides that she will never marry him and will lose her virginity to someone else. Esther's depression deepens as she returns home and faces an uncertain future.