The feminist Lois Wyse once said: "Men learn to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." » Women should express remorse for their strengths, while men should feel guilty when exposing their weaknesses. Wyse believed that women should have been able to show their strengths in their oppressive societies instead of hiding them. The 19th century setting in the two plays, A Doll's House and Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, caused Nora and Hedda much grief. They both lived in Europe in the 19th century, where men dominated the functioning of society. Ibsen created an environment for women to question the society in which they lived. Nora and Hedda, two feminists living in a male household devoid of happiness, wanted to escape their unhappy life at home under the guidance of a man. Eventually, both women escaped their husbands' clutches, but Hedda resorted to suicide to leave. Nora agreed with Lois Wyse by showing off her strengths with pride to everyone, while Hedda hid her strengths like a coward by committing suicide. Ibsen used many literary elements and techniques to enrich his writing and help characterize the two protagonists. Nora, characterized as a caring and strong person, let her husband explore society's beliefs and interpret the ideas herself. Unlike Nora, Hedda, belligerent and selfish, destroyed the lives of the people around her just to ultimately kill herself. Although it seemed that Nora had abandoned all responsibility for her children and kept an insidious secret from her husband, Nora showed greater courage than Hedda in the way she faced the obstacles of his life. Although it appears that Nora has abandoned her family, society's restrictions have forced her to do so. she has no other choice... middle of paper ... enormous amount of courage throughout the play. Nora showed greater courage than Hedda in the way she faced the obstacles in her life, even though it appeared that Nora abandoned all responsibility for her children and hid an insidious secret from her husband. It took a lot of courage to overcome obstacles like Nora did. Unlike Nora, Hedda fought her way through situations like a coward and she always took the easy way out. Nora faced her obstacles with determination, so she ended up living the life she wanted while Hedda's cowardice swallowed her up and led her to commit suicide; therefore, ending one's life full of potential happiness and independence. Ultimately, the reader sees Nora as the luckier protagonist compared to Hedda because Nora faced her obstacles with courage rather than cowardice like Hedda.