It seems that Delia, a “habitually meek” character, as is stated in the story, has endured years of domestic abuse from her husband, Sykes. She works tirelessly to take care of the family, with little, if any, input from him, and instead of being appreciative of her efforts, he beats and bullies her without end. I believe that Delia has always been a fighter. For fourteen of the fifteen years of their marriage, Sykes has beaten his wife, but still she stayed, even though she was supporting him. If her work taking in laundry has enabled her to keep her house, it's safe to assume she could have survived without Sykes in the house.
It makes the reader wonder who the author is talking about when she says “they”. Both sentences are describing a type of person. The reader is meant to question themselves.
