I can hardly stand it when he is away for a night… When he’s away for a week I nearly go wild!… And when he comes back I cry on his lap like a baby.
– Tennessee Williams
A Streetcar Named Desire, Scene 1. From Stella’s comments to her sister Blanche about husband Stanley, we can deduce that their marriage is built upon sexual passion. In a simile she compares herself to crying like a baby when he returns after being away, showing her dependence on her husband. This reflects a societal gender power balance very much in favor of men at the time and place of the play.