Hitchcock’s misogynistic attitudes are inevitably present in all of his films, and The 39 Steps is no exception. As Barbara Buchanan discussed in her 1935 article Women are a Nuisance, Hitchcock deprived Madeleine Carroll (Pamela) of any “dignity and glamour,” seeking to minimize her feminine attributes while emphasizing her “human” attributes through “awkward and comic situations.” 

For example, Pamela is forced to form a strange relationship with Hannay when she is handcuffed to him. After the “detectives” leave the pair in the police car in order to clear out a flock of sheep, Hannay attempts to escape with the unwilling Pamela in tow. However, Pamela struggles to keep up and repeatedly trips and falls over the ground and rocks. Meanwhile, Hannay deftly crosses over the terrain. Pamela’s lack of grace is evident, and could be a source of humor or annoyance for the audience. As Hitchcock was fond of providing contrast in his films between lighthearted moments and heavy, suspenseful moments, one can conclude that Pamela’s lack of glamour and sex appeal during her clumsy escape from the police with Hannay serves as comic relief from the overall dramatic situation.

Pamela struggles to jump over the bridge railing with Hannay; she appears helpless, certainly not an image of “grace and beauty.”