In his play "A Doll's House" Henrik Ibsen offers the audience an insight into life in 19th century Norway and the injustices that existed in society at the time. Throughout the narrative Ibsen uses the relationship between Nora and Torvald as a vehicle through which he explores the constitution of marriage and the morality of this type of relationship, particularly the rigid gender roles that were prominent within society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay In the play, a woman is expected to accept her social role, acquiescing to her husband in all things, subtly highlighting the inequality of this, Ibsen explores the morality of their relationship. One of the first things Torvald says to his wife is “You must not disturb me!” Here, the imperative creates a very strong tone, establishing unequal power dynamics within the relationship, indicative of the inequalities that existed between men and women in the mid-19th century. Men adopted the dominant role that came so naturally to them in such a phallocentric culture, in which women were denied the same rights as men. Critic Brian Downs states, "When Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll's House, the institution of marriage was sacrosanct," and this notion is emphasized by how Nora and Torvald naturally embrace well-defined marital roles, despite how this leads to questionable the morality of their relationship. , as in effect these marital roles were unequal as the male carries the burden of power within the relationship. Furthermore, through the fact that Nora does not in any way contest the fact that her husband despises her, Ibsen harshly criticizes the way in which 19th century Norwegian women had been conditioned by society to ignore this type of behavior, to the extent that they I don't even recognize the injustice of it. Indeed, Torvald's almost aggressive speech towards Nora, as well as his apparent ignorance of the inequality of their marriage, cause the audience to question the morality of their marriage, as Ibsen subtly criticizes the constitution. Additionally, Nora's dishonest nature is prominent throughout the text. , as she repeatedly lies to her husband; this implies that Nora does not value morality as an important aspect of marriage. When Torvald asks her whether or not she has indulged in a pastry from the bakery, Nora replies emphatically, "Of course not." The ease with which Nora is able to lie to her husband suggests that it is second nature for her, perhaps even impulsive; the fact that Nora has this level of disrespect for the trust her husband places in her speaks volumes about how women viewed marriage in the 19th century. Women did not necessarily marry for love, but rather out of obligation or lack of money or status; this outlook does not bode well for a woman's moral responsibility in a relationship: if she does not love her husband, she is more likely to be inconsiderate of the moral responsibility a spouse places on his or her partner. However, Nora seems to have Torvard's interests at heart, after all, "it was [she] who saved Torvald's life", and from this it can be deduced that Nora truly loves Torvald. However, it could be argued that, at this point in the narrative, Ibsen is subtly implying that Nora is deceiving herself, as in the 19th century marriage was an institution traditionally rooted in patriarchy that promoted male superiority and power over women. It is this that leads the reader to wonder how a woman of the time could be truly happy in a relationship of that nature, and indeed,.