A Doll’s House is a groundbreaking play by Henrik Ibsen that centers on Nora Helmer, a seemingly happy wife and mother who begins to question her life and marriage. Set in a middle-class Norwegian household, the story unfolds as Nora hides a past loan she took out to save her husband, Torvald’s, life—an act she committed without his knowledge. As the truth begins to surface and her husband reacts not with gratitude but with outrage at the damage to his reputation, Nora realizes the imbalance and lack of true respect in their marriage.

Through Nora’s journey of self-discovery, Ibsen critiques the limited roles and lack of agency given to women in 19th-century society. The play famously ends with Nora deciding to leave her husband and children in order to find her own identity and independence—a shocking and revolutionary conclusion at the time. A Doll’s House remains a powerful and influential work that challenges societal norms and champions the importance of personal freedom, gender equality, and self-respect.