Ateng has felt how difficult it is to live with his stepmother. He is often being shouted at and even gets slapped. His father never stands by him. The village people are impressed to see the appearance of Iskak, Ateng’s old friend, who has just returned from Jakarta. This causes Ateng to yearn to leave for the capital city. And so Ateng joins Iskak. Once they arrive in Jakarta, their bags are stolen. Apparently Iskak has been talking big, as it is difficult for him to find a job. Ateng feels miserable in the capital city. He has been beaten up, starved and tricked. Ateng feels the capital city is crueler than his stepmother.
Ira Maya lives with her grandfather, Ateng, in a village. Their relationship is so close that they are inseparable. One day, Ira falls from her bike and is hurt. When she doesn’t recover, they find out that Ira has cancer. Her leg has to be amputated, and Ateng suffers for Ira’s misfortune.
A student (Arfandi) is very depressed, for being known as a bastard child or “anak haram”, the original title of Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s story, on which the film is based on. Only one of the teachers (Frans Harahap) is understanding and willing to help.
Ismail leaves his wife, Sutrisni, in Bekasi, in order to look for a job in Jakarta. Although his brother, Iskandar, persuades him to do illegal work with him, Ismail refuses. Since Iskandar does not deliver the money Ismail is sending to his wife, Sutrisni goes to the city to find her husband. But Sutrisni does not find him and marries Wongso. Finally, Ismail finds her again to solve the complicated chain of events.
Irawani
Irawani and Hidayat get engaged to each other. Irawani relates the story of her parents, Irawan and Sunarti. When the couple goes through a hard time, Irawan moves to Batavia to look for work and leaves his wife and daughter behind. But when he succeeds in the city, he gets carried away though it is his father-law, Sunarno, who employs him. After she grows up, Irawani becomes a singer and dancer, and Irawan is crazy about her. Knowing this, his new wife expels him from the house. So once again, Irawan becomes a beggar, just like the first time when he arrived in Jakarta.
Martono falls in love with Susilowati, who is called the "Kebaya Fantasi". But Susilowati's father, Dahlan, opposes the relationship. Martono is just a driver, while Dahlan, a car repair shop owner, prefers a rich man as son-in-law. Dahlan pairs off "Kebaya Fantasi" to Darwis, a rich kid. But Lily, a female bandit, already has her heart set on Darwis. Because of Lily, Darwis is arrested by the police. He is involved in a robbery that is masterminded by Lily. This paves the way for Martono to approach Susilowati. Moreover, Dahlan's business is actually funded by Amijaya, Martono's long lost father.
Sugesti
Sugesti feels jealous because Rochijat falls in love with her sister, Bardini, and he only considers her as a friend. To cope with her disappointment, Sugesti becomes a lead singer in a theater group led by Subroto. She stops singing when she marries the loan shark, Surachman, to pay for the debts of the theater group. Meanwhile, Bardini is at a loose end and works at Sugesti's house. She pretends not to know her and treats her badly. After dealing with various challenges, Bardini marries Rochijat. When she visits her father's grave, she runs into Sugesti, who is now a poor woman, after her husband is sent to jail.
