The play A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen certainly makes a strong case that Nora's freedom and independence ultimately require her to leave Torvald. However, Nora had a level of independence the whole time, which is what motivates her to seek a more full expression of her autonomy at the end of the play. Rather than finding her selfhood by leaving Torvald, Nora is instead motivated to leave by the presence of it.

Nora thought for a long time that she could exercise freedom and that her husband would ultimately support the free choices she made. She eventually learns that this idea is an illusion, but her desire to make choices in this way is always present, and she acts upon it often. She does so in ways that are compatible with her role as wife and mother, such as sneaking treats for herself and the children and taking out the loan to help her husband recover from his illness, but this ought not to minimize the degree to which Nora Roberts is always a strong, independent woman with a sense of selfhood, even while she is still under Torvald's influence. It would be more accurate to say A Doll's House shows that some women need to leave their husbands in order to maintain their independence and selfhood.