Stereotypes in A Doll's House and The Breakfast ClubWhen you see someone with expensive jewelry, driving a Lexus with tinted windows, rap music blaring from a mega stereo system , do you think he's a punk or a drug dealer? This is an example of stereotyping. How are stereotypes assigned? They are often created by society and are based on gender, race, religion, age or social position. Henrick Ibsen focused on the theme of stereotypes in his play A Doll's House. In A Doll's House, Nora is seen more as an object than a person. When the play was written, women in general were seen as wives and mothers, not as individuals. Nora skillfully plays the part of the obedient wife as Torvald questions her about what she has done in the city, assuring him that "she would never dream of doing anything that [he] didn't want [her] to do (Ibsen 933)." In "The Breakfast Club," the characters' peers designate stereotypes as a result of a combination of social status and behavior. Brian is "the brain" because he is an excellent student, Bender is "the criminal" because of his rebellious behavior, and so on. In his essay to Mr. Vernon, Brian addresses the stereotypes that have been imposed on him and his colleagues: "...we think you're crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. You see us how you want to see us.. . in the simplest terms and most convenient definitions. You see how a brain, an athlete, a hopeless case, a princess and a criminal, right? According to the film's opening quote, these characters "are quite aware of what they're going through" (Hughes). Stereotypes, however, are superficial and when. they are peeled away and often reveal something completely unexpected. When Torvald receives the letter from Mr. Krogstad and learns of Nora's secret, he begins to see her as "a hypocrite, a liar... a criminal" (Ibsen 974). When the conflict is resolved and it becomes clear that no one will suffer because of her falsification, Torvald returns Nora's stereotype of a vulnerable woman, telling her that "he wouldn't be a real man if [he] didn't find a woman doubly attractive." for being so obviously helpless" (Ibsen 975). In "The Breakfast Club" the teenagers have been aware of their stereotypes for some time.