In A Doll's House Henrik Ibsen focuses on the lack of control women had over their own lives in the 19th century. Nora has more money than Mrs. Linde but her life is still difficult because she is dominated by her husband. In Act I, there are many hints at the kind of marriage Nora and Torvald have. Nora is like a doll controlled by Torvald, she relies on him for everything. Her job in life is limited to doing housework, taking care of the children, and pleasing her husband. Torvald doesn't trust Nora with money, just as you wouldn't trust a young child. When Torvald does give Nora money, he's worried that she'll waste it on candy, an example of how he tries to control not only her mind but her body as well . The biggest problem with Nora's life is that she is in a position of no power, like a slave. Torvald believes that the duty of a woman is to be a good wife and mother. Torvald controls the way Nora thinks about herself through his treatment of her. He sees women as helpless creatures and tells Nora that women are responsible for the morality of their children. This is not just Torvald's fault, but indicative of the entire Victorian society. Women were repressed with rules, clothes, marriage, and family. The fact that it was illegal for a woman to borrow money without a man signing for her shows society's belief that a woman was to be treated like a child.
Torvald behaves like a dictator and patronizes Nora, so she is forced to hide her loan from him because she knows Torvald would never accept that his wife or any other woman helped save his life. She works secretly earning money to pay off her loan because it's illegal for a woman to get a loan without her husband's permission. For Nora, nothing mattered except her husband's well-being, so, when he became sick, it was easy for Nora to forge her father's name to a note, in order to help Torvald recover. In her mind it wasn't illegal for her to do anything possible to save her husband's life. Because of Torvald's and society's restrictions, Nora is vulnerable to Krogstad's blackmail. When Torvald doesn't immediately offer to help Nora after Krogstad threatens to expose her, as she thought he would, Nora realizes something. By waiting until after he discovers that his public image won't be harmed, Torvald reveals that appearance, both social and physical, is more important than the wife whom he professes to love. Torvald proves himself a narrow-minded coward, his anger subsides as soon as he discovers no one will know of the scandal. This confirms that Helmer is not really angry at Nora's offense but of the fear of being found out. But for Nora finding out is her salvation, it's then that she realizes that she is only a toy, a doll to Helmer.
