The roles of men and women evolve over time. In 1879 the roles, obligations and expectations of a man and a woman were very different than today. In A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen illustrates the reproachful role of women in society and how appearances can be deceiving. A man was considered the head of the house. He brought home money, supported his family and took care of any business matters. Women had to take care of household chores, children and their duties as a wife. The man thought that if he couldn't provide enough money he shouldn't ask for a loan anyway because it would cause debt. Torvald expresses his belief in this by saying, “There can be no liberty or beauty in a domestic life which depends upon borrowing and debt” (I. 1759). Furthermore, loans were not to be taken out without the man's permission. The sacrifice a person makes depends on personal circumstances. In “A Doll's House” many characters make sacrifices for their own reasons. Nora sacrifices herself when she asks for a loan behind her husband's back. Even if he does it behind Torvald's back, it is to save his life. She has to keep her secret because she knows that Torvald would never accept the fact that she was the one who saved his life. Mrs. Linde abandons her true love, who turns out to be Krogstad, to marry a man with more money. He does it to support his sick mother and two brothers. The Helmers' nanny had to abandon her own children to care for herself by working for the Helmers. At the end of the show Nora leaves her husband and children to find herself and grow as a person. One critic agrees that "Nora doesn't know what the future holds, but she realizes that she needs space and freedom if she... middle of paper... with each other, each of them has roles and obligations that society expects them to respect. Just as other citizens of society have different expectations. Women were not supposed to do important jobs and men were supposed to be in charge of the house. People can act one way, but reveal themselves opposite to what is expected. One person may sacrifice oneself for the sake of another, but that sacrifice may not be appreciated if it makes the other appear corrupt or jeopardizes his or her reputation. Works cited forward, Stephanie “A new world for women? Stephanie Forward considers Nora's dramatic exit from Ibsen's A Doll's House. " Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. 11th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2011. 1758-1804. Press