Nora is considered independent when she becomes deceptive with her abilities. In Act I, Torvald questions Nora: “You haven't been snacking on candy? (4). Nora lies and says she “definitely didn’t” eat sweets” (4). This is the first time we see Nora lying to her husband. Nora is considered independent when she becomes deceptive with her abilities. Through this little lie, Ibsen shows how lying is the only thing Nora is capable of doing in an oppressive Norwegian marriage. Another example where Nora shows her independence is when Nora cheats on her husband by telling him that he is taking partial control of the family's money through loans. To repay the loans, Nora works independently and secretly. Nora describes the opportunity to work with money as rewarding. Nora says: “It was a great pleasure to work and earn money. It was like being a man” (13). Ibsen's purpose in characterizing Nora as independent through her deceptive actions is to show the imbalance of power in a Norwegian marriage. This imbalance eventually persuades Nora to abandon her lifestyle to find herself. Since marriage decisions were controlled by men, Nora's decision to leave home was monumental. This was a shift in Nora's characterization towards that of a more independent woman who should be allowed to express herself.