The play A Doll House by Henrik Isben is a perfect example of women's problems in the 19th century. Women were thought to be the housekeepers of the house, doing all the cooking, cleaning and caring for their children while the husband went to work to support his family. However, women of this era wanted to discover who they were and what they could do in the world. In A Doll House, Nora Helmer helps her maid and nanny take care of her children, cook and clean, and also took care of her sick husband. Nora committed fraud by signing her deceased father's name to obtain money to take her husband on a trip to Italy. Once her husband found out, Nora was forced to decide whether she wanted to stay with her family and follow her husband's rules or go out into the world and be "free." Henrik Isben does not continue the play after Nora's departure. his family. However, there is historical evidence of what happened to the women who followed in Nora's footsteps. A single woman would attract the attention of the community and they would look at her with disapproval and pity (CITE). There was also no way for her to have children or be with a man because everyone would know that she had abandoned her family; she also couldn't find a job anywhere because women didn't have access to it (CITE). Men could do almost anything to his wife if she ran away. It would be almost impossible to live a better life without your husband. In a letter written in 1844 by a husband to his wife who walked away in the same manner as Nora, the husband wrote that the wife had sinned but he was willing to get her back if she fulfilled all the conditions that he states (A XIX). It was a common way between husband and wife ... middle of paper ... that she will do because while living with her family and facing blackmail and debt, Nora considered committing suicide. Before returning to her husband and following his rules, I think Nora would commit suicide. It sounds violent, but based on the way she acted in the room, I believe that's what would happen. Works Cited “Letter from a Nineteenth-Century Husband to His Wife.” Meyer 1765-67. Print.Ibsen, Henrik. A doll's house. Trans. Rolf Fjelde. Meyer 1709-57. Print. Letters and speeches. Ed. And trans. Evert Sprinchorn. New York: Hill, 1964. 337. Print. Meyer, Michael, ed. Bedford's Introduction to Literature. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print. “The Status of Women in Mid-19th Century England, A Brief Overview by Helena Wojtczak.” » History of English women. Np, and Web. April 28. 2014..