A Dolls House: Nora’s rebellion against society The central theme of this play is Nora’s rebellion against society and everything that was expected of her. Nora shows this by breaking away from all the standards and expectations her husband and society had set up for her. In her time women weren’t supposed to be independent. They were to support their husbands, take care of the children, cook, clean, and make everything perfect around the house. Nora’s first rebellion was when she took out a loan so that she could pay for her husband, Torvalds medical treatment. It was against the l