Ethical and moral questions abound in the lines of Henrik Ibsen's play, The Doll's House, which reveal the tragedies and rebirths of two key players and the spiritual destruction of a third. Over the course of events that last only two or three days, observers are shown the harsh realities of society in 1879 Europe and the unequal treatment of both women (wives, in particular) and children who are considered property and not seen as people . Deceitful wife (a phoenix in the end), narcissistic husband (he regarded his wife and children as property), lustful (though dying friend), gold-digging friend (who married for money) and a fearsome blackmailer (with a past that persecuted him) each in their own way violates the point of view of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries regarding ethics and morality, creating the atmosphere of a well-thought-out soap opera of the last century; providing fodder for heated arguments regarding what is right and wrong perpetrated by players both morally and ethically. Society as a whole was very different 125 years ago, with much unrest due to social and political changes. The mid 1800s through the early 1900s were a time of great political unrest as the industrial age came into full swing playing a role in the process. growing unrest over equal treatment of slaves, women and children forced to work in unsafe environments and conditions. Hand in hand with the issue of slavery was growing the desire for the vote and equal treatment of women in the United States, while across the pond in Europe women began to gain equal rights and a verbal voice in politics. Considered for centuries to be mere chattels and subject to the whims of their husbands, women had absolutely no rights over their own bodies, com...... middle of paper ...... so she risked her life to save a man who didn't really love her, but rather loved the fact that he could control her like a puppet on a string; Torvald Helmer.Lawyer Torvald Helmer possessed neither heart nor compassion for others unless it was beneficial to himself and his future. Morally bankrupt and ethically inadequate in his relationships within his own home. Broken and incomplete as the curtain falls on the final act of a marriage of control and censorship as Nora is reborn like the Phoenix from the ashes. Henrik Ibsen denounced the defects of society in 1800 and he himself was censored and forced to capitulate and write a false ending for his work. Which could bring out another social flaw: censorship? Works Cited Schilb, John and Clifford, John. Making Literature Matter, an anthology for readers and writers. Fifth edition. Bedford/St. Martin. 2012. Print.