In the play, “A Doll’s House," playwright Henrik Ibsen draws a detailed and colorful picture of marriage in the nineteenth century by creating realistic portrayals of individual characters, especially Nora and Torvald. He uses this couple’s life as an example of a typical marriage at that time. The author shows the readers his critical attitude toward the real portrayal of the marriage model by making a great controversial ending: Nora decides to leave her husband and her children to find her true freedom. Through the marital relationship of Torvald and Nora, Ibsen also emphasizes the unequal status between men and women in that time. In such a patriarchal society, men might consider their wives as their property, and treat them as inferiors. Because of this behavior, spouses did not actually share their opinions and not understand each other. Therefore, the nature of patriarchy creates inequality of gender roles, which results in Nora and Torvald’s marriage ending. In describing Torvald’s personality, Ibsen emphasizes the unequal position of men and women in the nineteenth century. In their marriage, Torvald might consider his wife unequal company, which seems to be normal in patriarchal society. First, he seems to look down on Nora in their relationship. In the first conversation between Torvald and Nora, the way he addresses his wife tells the audiences that he might not respect his wife. He asks, “Is it my little squirrel bustling about?” (Ibsen 2). Furthermore, he constantly uses nicknames when talking to his wife such as, “my little skylark,” “my little singing bird,” and “my pretty little pet.” He seems to consider her as his, “child-wife,” because he usually includes the word, “little,” every time he talks to her. He might believe in the man’s duty, which focuses on the protection and guidance of his wife. Torvald seems to enjoy this role and consider it as fundamental to become a good husband. The fact is that he has tried so hard to earn money for family expenses. Nora tells her friend, Mrs. L, about the difficult situation between her and Torvald in the first year marriage. She states, “[when Torvald left his office], there was no prospect of promotion there during the first year he overworked himself dreadfully. You see, he had to make money every way he could; and he worked early and late” (Ibsen 7). He practiced the “marital convention” well because he showed his responsibility for his family. However, he tended to take control over his wife as he looked at Nora as a child whom he could teach, put his requirements on, and judge. For example, when Torvald tells Nora about a party and requests her to dance there that night, he asks, “Now you must go and play through the tarantella and practice with your tambourine” (Ibsen 37). His tone sounds liked a command to a child more than a discussion with a wife. Additionally, he tended to take control over his wife’s thoughts because he was educated and was a person who held the power in the marriage. He tells Nora, “No, no; only lean on me; I will advise and direct you. I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes” (64). Gradually, he becomes so selfish as he only knows how to put his opinions on Nora, but not to share her opinions. In practicing the wrong principles he has learned, he tends to build a distance in his relationship with Nora and to lose his family. Concerning the inequality of gender, Nora has been leading a double life. While on the one hand, Nora tells to prefer acting like a child in her relationship with her husband; she behaves different