In 1879, Henrik Ibsen wrote his three-act play, The Dollhouse. One of the major themes is the oppression of women in the late 1800’s. Women's suffrage was a giant issue during the time the play premiered. Women's suffrage was a time that lasted from the mid-1800’s through the 1920’s, when women were fighting for the right to vote. During this time, The cult of domesticity came out and told women that they should stay home and take care of her children and husbands. Many women wanted a way to break out of their theoretical “dollhouse”. Nora Helmer, the protagonist in the play. was one of these strong characters wanting so desperately to get out of the cage society put her in.