The protagonist, German and history teacher Eberhard Starush, faces a series of dental surgeries. The doctors at the local clinic believe that watching television distracts patients from the pain, so Starush spends long hours watching. Reflections on the past merge in Starush's mind with information about the current situation in the country; the lives of an entire generation unfold before his eyes… the 20th century. A century of misfortune, bloodshed, complicity and indifference, doubts and painful experiences—this is what Starush constantly ponders, asking again and again: can society, like a diligent student, learn from its mistakes?