Romantic relationships have the ability to bring out the best and worst in people. In a healthy relationship, partners complement each other. The love and support they offer not only strengthens their bond; it can also make them stronger as individuals. An unhealthy relationship can have the opposite effect. The wrong partner can influence a person to become someone they have no desire to be. In his play A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen demonstrates the impact that equality and honesty can have on relationships. A Doll's House is set in a time when neither men nor society treated women as equals. Women were expected to just be respectful housewives. The relationship between Nora and Torvald reflects the imbalance in society. In Torvald's eyes, men are superior to women. Concerned about how society perceives him, he is dismayed that others would believe his wife would have any influence over his decisions; “Do you think I am going to make myself ridiculous in front of all my staff, to make people believe that I am a man who allows himself to be influenced by all kinds of outside influences?” (Ibsen 35). Torvald controls practically everything; he finds power in her weakness and declares to her: “I would not be a man if this feminine impotence did not only give you a double attraction in my eyes” (Ibsen 64). Nora only has a say in trivial aspects of daily life, like shopping or decorating for Christmas. At first, she is not bothered by Torvald treating her like his possession. Her father also treated her like an object, so she thinks that's how they express their love for her. At the end of the play, Nora realizes in a heartbreaking way that Torvald and his father have been holding her back by using her to... middle of paper ... because his love comes through his actions. He can blackmail Nora, but he feels it is a necessary task to keep his job and provide for his children. To show his love to Kristine, he stops the extortion by returning the deposit to Helmer's box, thus ridding them of any illegal crimes. Kristine and Krogstad were fortunate to have self-awareness. They know they need each other to succeed in this society. Nora never had the chance to find herself before marrying Torvald. In order for them to grow as individuals, they must separate. The dissolution of their marriage is necessary; staying together would only encourage them to repeat the same habits. Partners can either help us become the person we need to be or hinder that growth. Having the right person by our side has the potential to determine who we become.