Being unfaithful seems to be a big mistake, one that you can't take back. The fact that Mrs. Popov is staying faithful to her cruel and unfaithful husband relates to many men and women today in unhealthy relationships.
Misogyny plays a great role in this play when it comes to Smirnov. Smirnov comes into the home demanding money and refusing to leave when Mrs. Popov gives him nothing. He goes on a rant yelling, "What can one say to that? Moods! Seven months since her husband died! Do I have to pay the interest or not? I repeat the question, do I have to pay the interest or not?" (1945). He's angry that Mrs. Popov is upset and mourning over her dead husband, so he blames it on the moodiness that women have. He makes fun of how she's upset and because of this can't pay him. He then continues saying, "Woman's logic! That's why I never liked to talk to women, and why I dislike doing it now" (1945). He continues with his misogyny by basically saying that women are illogical. He'd rather converse with men than women because women don't make sense. He then speaks about how women love; he angrily says, "May the devil hang me upside down if there is anything to love about a woman! When she is in love, all she knows is how to complain and shed tears" (1991). He complains about how there isn't anything to love about women; he doesn't love women because he thinks all they do is complain and cry. This relates to real life in the fact that that is how some men see women now. Women are seen as these moody individuals who don't do anything but cry to get their way and complain if they don't. They're seen as illogical because all they do is think with their genitalia. If they're on their period, they're moody and irrational and mean. But if they aren't, then they're just mean people in general, they don't know what they want and they never will because they aren't as good as men who seem to know everything.
