A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

This was the other play I read.  It was slow at first and honestly not a lot happens.  It all takes place within three days.  It is an incredibly simple read and easy to understand.  I enjoyed the last couple pages the most when our main character, Nora, realizes what her life really is like and that she does not know who she is.

Nora starts out in this play as a very flighty, happy person that is very superficial.  She does not seem to know what life is really like and her husband treats her like a 'doll.'  He talks to her like she is a young little girl and expects her to be a trophy wife and act/dress in certain ways.  He works at a bank and has just been made the manager.  In order to keep up his appearance of having a strong, moral character, he dismisses his friend who has a reputation for doing questionable business.  Unfortunately, this man did business with Nora in the past and Nora is still paying off her debt.  She took out a loan in order to save her husband's life.  This man threatens Nora and writes a blackmail letter to her husband in order to get his job back and to get his reputation cleared.  Nora tries her hardest to prevent the letter from getting into her husband's hands, but in the end resigns herself to her husband finding out.  She believes he will rescue her.  Unfortunately her husband does not accept what she has done and says she will never be allowes out of the house and will never be able to raise their three children.

After saying all of these hurtful things he reads another letter from the same man that decided to return Nora's bill and releasing her from all responsibility.  Nora's husband is relieved and decides they will go on with life like nothing happened and tries to take back everything he said.  Unfortunately for him, Nora realizes that she does not know herself or her husband and must leave to find out who she is.  Her husband tries to convince her to stay, but she leaves.

While it is a sad ending that does not necessarily end happily-ever-after, it has a very good lesson.  Nora had spent her whole life living and doing what others expected her to do.  She never found out who she was.  It is a great short play that has great insight at the end about life.