A Doll's House
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Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House seems to be highly regarded as a controlling, sexist play about a man that controls and demeans his wife including any other woman around him. Taking place in the late 1800's, women did not have the same rights and independence they have today. Women did not have any values. The women depended on their husbands for everything. The men had careers or jobs and made all of the money and provided for the family. The women played the role of the typical housewife. Torvald Helmer is a self-indulgent lawyer who is demeaning, selfish, and controlling with everyone, but mostly his wife Nora Helmer.
For example, Torvald calls his wife pet names and tells her what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. He is demeaning in the sense of the way he talks to her. He says, "What do we call my pretty little pet when it runs away with all the money" (Ibsen 777)?..