The central conflict arises from the crushing weight of poverty and the systemic exploitation of a rural farming family struggling to survive on a meager plot of land. The protagonist, Lahuma, faces the relentless physical demands of rice cultivation while battling the encroaching threats of nature and economic instability. His objective is to secure a harvest that will sustain his wife and seven daughters, yet he is constantly opposed by the unforgiving climate and the indifference of the social order. The narrative, presented in a stark and unvarnished style, tracks the family's endurance through a series of escalating crises that test their collective resolve.

Readers frequently highlight the stark, unflinching portrayal of rural hardship that defines Shahnon Ahmad's writing style. Discussion often centers on the author's ability to transform a simple agricultural struggle into a profound meditation on human endurance and suffering. Critics note the effectiveness of the atmospheric world-building, which grounds the reader in the specific, often brutal, realities of the Malaysian countryside. The balance between the family's internal dynamics and the external forces of nature creates a compelling narrative tension that remains consistent throughout the work.