“A Doll’s House” was written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879. The central theme of this play is the sacrificial role of women in society. Mrs. Linde, leaves her one true love to marry a wealthy man so that she can support her Mother and brothers, the Helmer’s nanny abandoned her own children to support herself and the main character, Nora lived a difficult life with her father and her husband, Torvald. Nora rebels against society and all that is expected of her, by breaking away from the standards and expectations her husband and society have in place. In this time period, women were not supposed to be independent. Society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Nora attempts to become a self-motivated woman in a man's world. A women’s role was to support their husbands, take care of their children, and make sure the house was perfect. Everything else, such as work, politics, and all the decisions were left to the males.
The position of women in society is brought to life in “A Doll's House”. The author shows that he believed that women had a right to develop as individuals, but really, their role was often self-sacrifical. Women were not treated as equals with men, either in their relationships with their husbands or in society. Women were not allowed to conduct business or control their own money. They needed permission from their husbands, brothers or fathers.
Nora's first rebellion was when she took out a loan without the authority of her husband so that she could pay for his medical treatment. It was against the law for women to take out a loan without their husband’s approval. By doing this, she proved that she was naïve to believe that she could get away with forging her husband’s signature. She also proved that she wasn't as submissive and helpless as Torvald thought she was. He thought of her as a "poor helpless little creature” (1593). He believed that he had total control of his wife. A perfect example of Torvald’s control and Nora's submissiveness...