Stanley’s behaviour represents the power that men have in society in comparison to women, and how, through violence, they gain respect not only from their wives but also from all the women around them. Stella represents the submissive wife who must be obedient and tolerate the violence her husband forces upon her. Whenever Stanley loses his temper and beats her, she runs away, but then she comes back with him, because since she is pregnant, she does not have another alternative but to love with him. However, her pregnancy is not the only reason why she endures the aggression of her husband. Stella should continue with her stereotypical gender role as the submissive wife because it is what the society of the Forties dictates for all the women.