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How a Dollhouse Becomes a Broken Home A problem play, such as the one presented in the form of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Dollhouse,” is not meant to leave its audience with a warm, fuzzy feeling of resolution at its end. However, any traditionally crafted story usually leaves us with a sense that our protagonist has developed her character. At the conclusion of “A Dollhouse,” the only change we really see is a change of scenery for Nora, because for all of her pleading, scheming, and tough decision making, she is still a doll, Torvald is still one-dimensional, and their relationship is still based on over-simplification and faulty communication. Even taking into account the historical context of the story, Torvald’s treatment of Nora is maddening at best. His regard for her as a squirrel, a child, a pet demonstrates that he does not believe her capable of dealing with adult matters such as finances and health crises. Instead, Torvald lectures her on posturing, child rearing, and even dancing. By story’s end, when he is hit with the knowledge of Nora’s complicated efforts—to save his life, he chooses to take aim and talk at her, rather than discussing her reasoning and emotional state when she made the choice she d