In the play A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, things were not what they seemed. It also teaches us a lesson about the consequences of a marriage lacking trust and poor communication. Torvald and Nora's marriage seemed normal, like any other marriage at that time. Torvald was the breadwinner of the family. Nora was a housewife and took care of their two children. Nora thought that the only thing she lacked to be the happiest person on earth was money and that all her problems would disappear. Since her husband was going to start a new job, she thought her dream would soon come true. All Nora wanted was to have a good life with her family, but what she didn't know was that her secret would destroy her marriage to Torvald. In the first act we see the way Nora behaves and the way Torvald treats Nora. In front of her husband, Nora appears submissive and she also behaves childishly. When Nora goes to show him the things she had bought for the children, he hears her coming and says to Nora: “That's my little lark chirping over there. Is that my squirrel rummaging everywhere? (Ibsen 794). Nora doesn't mind that Torvald has the names of these animals for her and she even calls herself by these names. Nora said to her husband, “Hm, if you knew what expenses we have, Torvald, for larks and squirrels” (Ibsen 796). I believe that by doing this, Nora is giving Torvald consent to continue calling her nicknames. In my opinion, this is not normal behavior for a married couple. But it seems that Nora didn't care that Torvald treated her like a child or insulted her, what was important to her was the money Torvald gave her. We can see as the play progresses that Nora was not as innocent as she was. seems in front of him...... middle of paper ......e. Nora had decided to leave Torvald. This marriage could have been saved if these two individuals had had good communication and trusted each other. Works Cited Goonetilleke, DCRA “A Doll's House: Overview”. Reference guide to world literature. Ed. Lesley Henderson. 2nd ed. New York: St. James Press, 1995. Literary Resource Center. Internet. December 5, 2013. Ibsen, Henrik. “A doll’s house.” Michael Meyer. Literature to Go (E-Book). 1st edition. Bedford Books, October 2010. Web December 6, 2013. Kristina, Coop Gordon et al. "The interaction between marital norms and communication patterns: How does it contribute to marital adjustment?" » Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy 25.2 (1999): 211-23. ProQuest Central. Internet. March 5, 2013. Rosefeldt, Paul. "Ibsen is a doll's house." The Explainer 61.2 (2003): 84-5. ProQuest. Internet. December 3. 2013.