In 1933, Grace and her father left Dogville. Grace's father took his gangsters and spent the whole winter looking for a new foothold, but they didn't find a new foothold. They have been making one last effort to the south, hoping to find a profitable place to settle down. In Alabama, their car accidentally stopped in front of a large iron gate with a heavy chain and iron lock tied to it. There was a dead oak tree by the door, and the words "Manderlay" were engraved on a piece of granite under the tree.
Just when Grace and her father were about to leave after a short break, a young black woman ran to their car, knocked on Grace's window, and beat the glass in despair. Regardless of her father's repeated reminders, Grace followed the woman into the gate of Manderlay Manor, where she met a group of people whose lifestyles were the same as before the abolition of slavery, with white masters and black slaves. Although it has entered the 20th century, slavery is still practiced in the plantations.
After Grace came to the plantation, she instilled the idea of democracy in the black people on the plantation and asked them to pursue equality and freedom. Grace felt that she had a responsibility to make up for the unfair treatment of these slaves who had been bullied by her fellow whites. The father argued. She is determined to liberate Manderlay Manor, and she will stay here until the slaves enjoy their first harvest. However, this process was full of hardships and setbacks. Grace also unexpectedly had an affection with a local black slave who was descended from an African royal family. Although the struggle was very bitter, people had fun while suffering, and many interesting and touching things had happened.
Grace's father reluctantly agreed to her approach, leaving four men and a lawyer, warning her that if her plan to liberate Manderlay Manor failed, he would never help her clean up the mess
. Grace’s beautiful wish to build a utopia on the wasteland was eventually shattered by reality. The slaves did not need a utopian socialist or other type of savior. What they needed was still being ruled and enslaved, and at the same time able to The status quo of well-being being "bred". In the end, Grace escaped from Manderlay Manor in despair, but her father mistakenly thought that she had completed her transformation from a cowardly idealist to a devil. Grace flees on the huge and standard American territory. Behind her, she is holding a torch in an attempt to take her back to the manor and continue to serve as a large group of slaves to their ruler
.
