Henry, an apathetic file clerk at the All-State Collection Agency in New York City, spends most of his working hours sitting in the file room, daydreaming about leading the life of a Buddhist monk. In his free time, Henry roams Greenwich Village with his girl friend Sandy and roommate Solly. One day, Henry convinces Sandy that she should move in with him and Solly. When the time comes for Sandy to move in her belongings, however, Henry is unavailable to help her because he is having sex with his co-worker Rhoda. As Sandy and Solly drift into an affair, Henry tries to convince Rhoda that he does not love her. Soon after, Martin Axborough, his boss at the collection agency, tries to instill some initiative in Henry, a professed anti-materialist, by letting him make some collections over the telephone. Through his phone contacts, Henry discovers that Axborough has been swindling his clients, prompting Henry to become even more alienated and disillusioned.