In reading Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House one may find it hard to imagine how daring it seemed at the time it was written one hundred years ago. Then women were frowned upon for voicing their own opinion. Men ruled both the business and the household worlds. Men were created by their society and the environment around them. Also, people in the nineteenth century belived problems were due to heredity.

Torvald is a man created by society. Torvald believes that a man’s role in marriage is to protect and guide his wife and children. He talks down to his wife, “Nora, Are your scatterbrains off again?.” Torvald also believes in what the parents do well affect the children. Torvald demonstrates these thoughts when he is commenting on Krogstad being around his children. “Because that kind of atmosphere of lies infects the whole life of a home. Every breath the children take in is filled with germs of something degenerate.” When Torvald found out Nora’s secret that she forged her father’s signature and Krogstad was blackmailing her,

Mrs. Linde severed as reality and as a foil for Nora’s character. Both Nora and Mrs. Linde have many of the same qualities. Both women have been having recent financial problems, and both women went against the grain of society to make money. Mrs. Linde unaffected by society tells Krogstad that she wants to get back together with him. Mrs. Linde tells Krogstad, “Two on one wreck are at least better off than each on his own.” If Mrs. Linde was affected by society she would not get back together with Krogstad because of his widely know reputation.

Through society and heredity these elements have shaped and modeled these characters. Mrs. Linde provides and interesting juxtaposition to Nora with her real life antics. By the end of the play both characters are doing what they choose dis spite society and heredity. Torvald leads his life how society would want him to. Torvald calls Mrs. Linde a “bore” because she is a woman. Torvald lives in his own world, which he is the king and knows all. Dr. Rank labeled as a victim and Krogstad as the perpetrator of heredity both live their l

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