The central theme of the play "A Dolls House" is servitude. Servitude is demonstrated first through the main character Nora.

Nora’s economic servitude caused her to face a life decision of leaving her family. Society demands the wife to stay under her husband’s command. Torvald perceives Nora as his treasure, in this case his doll that cannot deal with any issues that are known as male obligations, almost as though she is a property of his as he implied: “Mayn’t I look at my dearest treasure? At all the beauty that belongs to no one but me- that’s all my very own?”

The main metaphor used in this play is through the title. As the doll represents Nora, she has no control within the house and is used as a toy that Torvald plays with. The title portrays the entire situation that Nora is placed in. The scenery of the title is demonstrated with the house being what Torvald provides for Nora and the children, which is similar to what a person would do for their dolls.  

Nora is well aware of what society expects from women, though she continues to act from her own thoughts despite them. Ibsen used Nora’s acts to show society’s faults at the time, that her right decisions are deemed as the wrong decisions because she is a woman. Ibsen portrays society’s expectations of a marriage through Nora and Torvald’s relationship. Nora played a role of being a person she wasn’t which eventually led to the corruption of her marriage. Society would have deemed the marriage to be perfect. However, Ibsen provided criticism of the fact that a marriage which lacks love and understanding is not perfect. This is demonstrated through Torvald and Nora, where he became angry at Nora for taking a loan to save him.

The theme of servitude is also demonstrated in Mrs. Linde and Krogstad. Mrs. Linde is a widow with full independence. She seeks a job in order to help her financial crisis. Krogstad like Nora also has an economic servitude. He is a widow with five children. Krogstad committed the same crime Nora did; only that his crime was known to society and therefore he has a reputation that is frowned upon during that era. When Torvald was made bank manager, he was determined to fire Krogstad from the bank. Losing his job would cause his reputation to only become worse. This decision of firing Krogstad leads him to blackmailing Nora into corrupting her reputation.

A Doll’s house’s central theme which is servitude criticized society’s view of women and marriage. Ibsen used Nora to illustrate society’s expectations of women and marriage. Her decision to leave is a critical view of society.