▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁Al ▁Bowl ly ▁song ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁Jan et ▁and ▁John ▁are ▁a ▁fr ustr ated ▁middle ▁class ▁couple ; ▁John ▁is ▁an ▁advert ising ▁copy writer ▁while ▁Jan et ▁is ▁a ▁b ored ▁house w ife ▁with ▁a ▁( well ▁founded ) ▁susp icion ▁that ▁her ▁husband ▁is ▁having ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁his ▁business ▁partner ' s ▁wife ▁Emma ▁after ▁obser ving ▁them ▁together ▁at ▁their ▁dis astr ous ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁E ve ▁party . ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁morning , ▁after ▁her ▁husband ▁has ▁gone ▁to ▁work , ▁she ▁is ▁visited ▁by ▁Billy , ▁an ▁ill iter ate ▁local ▁youth ▁to ▁whom ▁she ▁once ▁gave ▁reading ▁and ▁writing ▁less ons . ▁Billy ' s ▁ab us ive ▁father ▁has ▁recently ▁died , ▁and ▁contact ▁with ▁a ▁Je hov ah ' s ▁Wit ness ▁has ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁seek ▁sol ace ▁in ▁religion . ▁Billy ▁hopes ▁that ▁by ▁res uming ▁his ▁less ons ▁he ▁may ▁one ▁day ▁read ▁the ▁Bible . ▁Jan et , ▁eager ▁to ▁red ress ▁the ▁balance ▁in ▁her ▁broken ▁marriage , ▁makes ▁a ▁move ▁on ▁Billy ▁after ▁he ▁has ▁an ▁ad verse ▁reaction ▁to ▁the ▁anti - de press ants ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁taking . ▁When ▁John ▁returns ▁home ▁he ▁disco vers ▁a ▁n aked ▁Billy ▁in ▁the ▁living ▁room , ▁lying ▁under ▁a ▁blank et ▁with ▁a ▁half - d ress ed ▁Jan et . ▁John ▁sla ps ▁her . ▁ ▁That ▁night ,