In the 19th century, women were treated as though they were silly little children that were expected to look and behave a certain way in order to meet society's expectations. Henrik Ibsen's play, A Doll's House, focuses on the unjust treatment of women and the hardships they faced as they struggled in a society dominated by men. In the play, Nora Helmer and Kristine Linde are two women who have experienced their own share of trials and tribulations as they attempt to survive in a man's world. At first, Nora appears completely content with her husband, Torvald, and the life they share together, but as the play progresses the audience begins to see another side of Nora. The audience begins to find out that she is not a "silly girl," as Torvald calls her, but that she is very bright and capable of doing more than what is expected of her. Nora finally comes to the realization that all her life she has conformed to a certain lifestyle simply to satisfy her husband's and society's expectations of her. Moreover, Kristine Linde is Nora's childhood friend. She is a hardworking, honest, and polite woman. She spent a large portion of her life caring for her sick mother and taking care of her two younger brothers. She worked hard all of her life, and now that her family no longer needed her, she longed for someone to depend on her once again. Although both women are complex and appear to have lived very different lives from one another, they share certain core values and outlooks on life. Through their marriages, their views on life, and their self-worth, Ibsen is able to make both a clear distinction between the two women and reveal their similarities through their actions. .
To begin, the term 'foil' refers to a literary device in which the author creates a character that contrasts with the protagonist in ways that bring out certain of his or her characteristics. That being said, it is clear that Ibsen included Mrs.
