The Controversial Theme of a Doll's HouseIn his play, A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen describes a female protagonist, Nora Helmer, who dares to defy her husband and abandon the her "duty" as a wife and mother to seek her own individuality. A doll's house challenges the patriarchal view held by most people at the time that a woman's place was in the home. Many women could identify with the situation of Nora. Like Nora, they felt trapped by their husbands and fathers; however, they believed that the rules of society prevented them from emerging from the shadow of men Doll's House combines realistic characters, charming imagery, explicit captions, and an influential setting to develop a controversial theme. The characters in this play help support Ibsen's views. Nora's initial characteristics are those of a bubbly, childish wife and strictly dependent on her husband. This subordinate role from which Nora progresses highlights the need for a change in society's view towards women. For Nora, her lower, doll-like nature is a facade for a deeper passion for individuality that begins to emerge throughout the show and ultimately emerges fully in the finale. An example of this deep desire for independence is shown when Nora tells her friend Kristina Linde to earn her own money by copying. Nora explains, "it was really fun to sit [in her room] working and earning money. It was almost like being a man" (A Doll's House, 162). Mrs. Linde is an inspiration to Nora, because Kristina has experienced the independence that Nora desires. Although Nora tries to be independent, she uses her subordinate role to her advantage... middle of paper.... ..introverted theme. Ibsen expresses to the audience his hope for the "miracle" of true equality, when neither men nor women abuse the power that society gives them. When Nora takes off her doll dress and enters the real world, she opens up a new realm of possibilities for all women. Works cited and consulted: Agress, Lynne. Feminine Irony: Women on Women in Early Nineteenth-Century English Literature. London: Associated UP, 1978. Durbach, Errol. A Doll's House: Ibsen's Myth of Transformation. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Ibsen, Henrik. The Youth League/A Doll's House/The Lady of the Sea. Trans. Peter Watts. England: Clays Ltd., 1965.Salomé, Lou. Ibsen's heroines. Ed. and trans. Siegfried Mandel. Redding Ridge: Black Swan, 1985. Templeton, Joan. “The Dollhouse Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen.” PMLA (January 1989): 28-40.