Ethical and moral questions abound in the lines of Henrik Ibsen's play, A Doll's House, revealing the tragedies and rebirths of two key players and spiritual destruction of a third. In the space of just two or three days, events showed observers the harsh reality of European society in 1879 and the unequal treatment of women (wives in particular) and children, considered as property and not as property. people. Cheating wife (a phoenix in the end), narcissistic husband (considered his wife and children as property), lecher (a friend yet dying), gold-digging friend (who married for money) and a fearful blackmailer (with a past that haunted him) each in their own way violates the 19th, 20th and 21st century views regarding ethics and morality, creating the atmosphere of a well-thought-out soap opera from the last century ; providing fodder for lively discussions about the good and evil perpetrated by players, both morally and ethically. Society as a whole was very different 125 years ago, with many upheavals linked to social and political changes. The mid-1800s through the early 1900s was a time of much political unrest as the industrial age came into full operation and took part in change. growing unrest over equal treatment for slaves, women and children forced to work in dangerous environments and conditions. In the United States, the desire for voting rights and equal treatment for women went hand in hand with the issue of slavery, while in Europe, across the Atlantic, women sought to achieve equal rights and a verbal voice in politics. Having for centuries been considered mere property and subject to the whims of their husbands, women had absolutely no rights over their own bodies, so... middle of paper... she risked her life so much to save a man he didn't really love her but rather enjoyed being able to control her like a puppet on a string; Torvald Helmer.Lawyer Torvald Helmer possessed no heart or compassion for others unless it benefited himself and his future. Morally bankrupt and ethically unhealthy in his dealings with his own house. Broken and incomplete as the curtain falls on the final act of a marriage of control and censorship as Nora is reborn as the Phoenix from the ashes. Henrik Ibsen exposed the flaws of society in the 1800s and he himself was censored and forced to capitulate and write a false ending for his play. Which could reveal another societal fault: censorship? Works Cited Schilb, John and Clifford, John. Making Literature Matter, an anthology for readers and writers. Fifth edition. Bedford/St. Martin's. 2012. Print.