Lutie Johnson is the caretaker of her son, Bub, having been left by her husband Jim, with whom the divorce is in litigation. He cheated on her after she decided to accept a job as "the help" of a privileged white family. Now she lives alone in Harlem, and her landlord makes her feel uncomfortable, but after all, she can afford the rent, so she takes it.
Jones is the landlord. We learn the reason he creeps her out. He is sexually repressed by his mental health conditions from his service in the Navy, and he likes her, which makes him frustrated. Also, he is technically accounted for; he has a girlfriend named Min whom he abuses because he doesn't really like her. When the madame of a brothel notices Jones's interests in Lutie, a madame named Mrs. Hedges, she confronts him. She says a white man is already interested in Lutie.
Now we switch to Mrs. Hedges. She is disfigured, burned from a building fire, and she is bald from the burns. In flashbacks, we learn about her relationship to the white man from earlier; he is Junto, who supported her. They almost were an item, the two of them, but she rejected him. Once upon a time, she supported him through his early success in business, helping him to be brave. Also, Min summons the help of an African witch doctor, tired of Jones's abuse. Lutie experiments with romance, sleeping with a musician after a show.
Then, Jones ambushes her to rape her in the basement. Lutie calls out and Mrs. Hedges interferes. Plans are discussed about Junto and potential work opportunities. Jones resents this interference and secretly offers Bub, Lutie's son, a deal: if he steals mail from the building, Jones will pay him money. Then, Jones calls the police on him, and he is taken to a shelter. Lutie tries to find a lawyer, but it is expensive—about $200, which in the 1940's is a lot of money. She agrees, feeling no other choice.
Finally, it is just Lutie and Boots. She needs help from Boots to get her to Junto, but then, she considers a horrifying reality; perhaps the three of them (Boots, Junto, and the madame) are working to force her into sexual labor? Sure enough, Boots arrives and tries to rape her, but she defends herself, beating him to death with a candlestick. She escapes by train to Chicago before the police find out.
