Norma works for the department of linguistics of the Generalitat regional government, while Juan (or Joan, his Catalan name) is overwhelmed by the social position acquired through the marriage. There is little use in Marés’ new life for his skills as ventriloquist or accordion player. After five years, the marriage starts to fall apart, when Norma’s real character surfaces. The beautiful Norma is proud and cold, with dark sexual tendencies. She has a special attraction for “xarnegos”, lower-class migrants from other parts of Spain. Norma also has a shoe fetish and makes the men she sleeps with hold up a shoe with their erection. Returning home earlier than expected, Juan finds his wife having sex with a "xarnego" shoe shiner. Her infidelity revealed, Norma leaves her husband.