There has always been a gap between men and women in society. Women are generally expected to be housewives and seen as inferior to their husbands. The man is always correct, since he is more educated, and a woman must respect the man since he provides for the woman's life. During the Victorian era, women were very accommodating in conforming to the “housewife” stereotype. Women were supposed to be a representation of love, purity and family; abandoning this stereotype would be seen as rough living and a depredation of family status. Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Henry Isben's play A Doll's House describe Victorian-era women who were very humble to their husbands. Nora Helmer, the protagonist of A Doll's House and the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” both demonstrate that living in complete inferiority to others is unhealthy since one must live for oneself. However, attempts to gain the much-desired freedom during the Victorian era only end in complications. The central characters of both “The Yellow Wallpaper” and A Doll's House are fully aware of their niche in society. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator's husband believes her illness is mild depression, and although she states “personally, I don't agree with their ideas,” he knows he must still acquiesce to their demands (Gilman 1 ). He says, "What is to be done?" (Gilman 1) The narrator continues to follow her husband's ideals, even though she knows they are wrong. She feels trapped in her relationship with her husband, as she has no free will and has to stay in the nursery all day of being trapped on the floor. yellow wallpaper She sees a complex and frustrating pattern, and hidden in the pattern are herself and others... at the center of the paper... "ow Wallpaper" and Henry Isben's play A Doll's House demonstrate that independence is fundamental in a woman's life to feel free; however, the social norms of the Victorian age mean that freedom comes at a high cost her family. Although this seems revolutionary, Nora's freedom will only cause confusion in her life. If she had not had her personal awakening about individualism, she would have remained happy with her family freedom through madness. The narrator thinks she is free when she goes mad, but this is only a brief feeling, as she will most likely realize that publicizing her mental state will only increase the restrictions on her. In both texts, the heroines' flight for freedom will only result in more confusion and confinement in their lives.