Women's inequality has been a problem well into the 21st century. In the 1950s, many magazines published unsubtle advertisements about sexism and the limitations of women. One such advert features a photo of a woman working during World War II and says, "It turns out you girls are useful after all!" » (Iulien). Another is a ketchup endorsement with a photo of a woman holding a bottle of ketchup and the caption "You mean a woman can open it?" » (Iulien). Clearly, just a few decades ago, women were not considered equal to their male counterparts. Going back even further, women in the 19th century were limited in their decisions, strengths, and marriage. Even though women are now considered more equal, there are still some differences. One of the 19th century restrictions women faced revolved around their appearance. Women of this era had a cookie-cutter look that they had to adapt to and dressed solely to please their husbands. In A Doll's House, Nora mentions several times that her husband played an active role in choosing what she wears, and that she has even come to expect it from him. Speaking of the party they are going to attend, Nora asks, "Torvald, couldn't you take over and decide what I should be and plan my costume?" (Isben II Act 1040). Even though she is perfectly capable of choosing her own clothes and dresses, she still relies on her husband to decide for her. This can also be seen in the speech "Disappointment is the lot of women" when Lucy Stone refers to women as being a "walking showcase", meaning that they are only there to be pretty (Stone). Although girls were perfectly capable of dictating their own fashion choices, men felt they had to step in and make sure their wife's choices were middle of paper......get the foothold they needed to be perceived as such. is equal. Women are definitely progressing and freeing themselves from the limitations that have trapped them for so long. Works Cited Cather, Willa. “A Wagner Morning.” Read the book online. Np, and Web. February 24, 2014. Chopin, Kate. “The story of an hour” The story of an hour. Np, and Web. February 24, 2014. Ibsen, Henrik. A doll's house. World literature. Ed. Arthur N. Applebee. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell Inc., 2006. 1018-79. Print.Iulian. “35 Extremely Sexist Ads You Should See.” Neat designs RSS. Neat and web designs. February 25, 2014. Stone, Lucy. “Disappointment is a woman’s lot.” History of Aquinas. Thomas Aquinas, nd Web. February 24, 2014. “Frozen Synopsis.” IMDb. IMDb.com, and Web. February 27, 2014. “When did women start shaving their armpits? » Mental thread. Mental Floss, Inc., August 13, 2009. Web. February 25. 2014.