Factory owner John Gray takes ill during a strike at his factory. His doctor suggests that John’s brother David, who looks just like him, take his place at home and at the factory. Although the two are look exactly like each other, in temperament and personality they are exact opposites—John is cruel and brutish to both his family and his employees, while David is considerate, thoughtful and kind to everyone. When John sees the effect that David has on his employees—and his wife—by treating them humanely, he begins to re-evaluate the way his own life has turned out, and why.