What books to compare to a dolls house

I've just started my year 13 coursework for AQA English Literature and I have no idea what book to compare to a dolls house. We have a list of things we can't compare it to by the way, like the handmaid's tale. But we also need to pick a book of 'literary value' post-1900. I'm so confused on what books written after 1900 are of literary value does anyone have any suggestions? We're mostly exploring themes of class and gender by the way.

I think by literary value they're talking about modern classics and literary fiction. So they'd be thinking of texts like The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, The Colour Purple by Alice Walker or, as you mentioned, Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale. Things that they probably wouldn't consider to be of literary value would include stuff like genre fiction, so like chick-lit or detective fiction.

It's probably easier to start with the play and work from there. What are your thoughts on the themes of class and gender in A Doll's House?

I think Nora and Torvold are unaware of their privilege and have it way easier than other characters. Also, Nora's wealth made her quite sheltered yet also able to leave at the end. Also also, the women in the play are infantilised and objectified and sometimes it seems as though this is an intentional criticism on society by the author but other times it seems as though they lack depth. Basically, I'll take any reccomendations for modern classics that have an emphasis on class or gender. I'm doing sociology too, so I can use some of that knowledge for both the class and gender parts.

Those are some really strong ideas to start with! Try googling things like 'modern classics about class' or 'literary fiction about gender' and see what suggestions you find. Then see what you think might fit best with the direction you're going in.

Would a Steven King book count as a modern classic? The Shining for example.