short story sweat essay

Biblioklept

“Sweat” — Zora Neale Hurston

“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

It was eleven o’clock of a Spring night in Florida. It was Sunday. Any other night, Delia Jones would have been in bed for two hours by this time. But she was a wash-woman, and Monday morning meant a great deal to her. So she collected the soiled clothes on Saturday when she returned the clean things. Sunday night after church, she sorted them and put the white things to soak. It saved her almost a half day’s start. A great hamper in the bedroom held the clothes that she brought home. It was so much neater than a number of bundles lying around.

She squatted in the kitchen floor beside the great pile of clothes, sorting them into small heaps according to color, and humming a song in a mournful key, but wondering through it all where Sykes, her husband, had gone with her horse and buckboard.

Just then something long, round, limp and black fell upon her shoulders and slithered to the floor beside her. A great terror took hold of her. It softened her knees and dried her mouth so that it was a full minute before she could cry out or move. Then she saw that it was the big bull whip her husband liked to carry when he drove.

She lifted her eyes to the door and saw him standing there bent over with laughter at her fright. She screamed at him.

“Sykes, what you throw dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me–looks just like a snake, an’ you knows how skeered Ah is of snakes.”

“Course Ah knowed it! That’s how come Ah done it.” He slapped his leg with his hand and almost rolled on the ground in his mirth. “If you such a big fool dat you got to have a fit over a earth worm or a string, Ah don’t keer how bad Ah skeer you.”

“You aint got no business doing it. Gawd knows it’s a sin. Some day Ah’m goin’ tuh drop dead from some of yo’ foolishness. ‘Nother thing, where you been wid mah rig? Ah feeds dat pony. He aint fuh you to be drivin’ wid no bull whip.”

“You sho is one aggravatin’ nigger woman!” he declared and stepped into the room. She resumed her work and did not answer him at once. “Ah done tole you time and again to keep them white folks’ clothes outa dis house.”

He picked up the whip and glared down at her. Delia went on with her work. She went out into the yard and returned with a galvanized tub and set it on the washbench. She saw that Sykes had kicked all of the clothes together again, and now stood in her way truculently, his whole manner hoping, praying, for an argument. But she walked calmly around him and commenced to re-sort the things.

“Next time, Ah’m gointer kick ’em outdoors,” he threatened as he struck a match along the leg of his corduroy breeches.

Delia never looked up from her work, and her thin, stooped shoulders sagged further. “Ah aint for no fuss t’night Sykes. Ah just come from taking sacrament at the church house.”

He snorted scornfully. “Yeah, you just come from de church house on a Sunday night, but heah you is gone to work on them clothes. You ain’t nothing but a hypocrite. One of them amen-corner Christians–sing, whoop, and shout, then come home and wash white folks clothes on the Sabbath.”

He stepped roughly upon the whitest pile of things, kicking them helter-skelter as he crossed the room. His wife gave a little scream of dismay, and quickly gathered them together again.

“Sykes, you quit grindin’ dirt into these clothes! How can Ah git through by Sat’day if Ah don’t start on Sunday?”

“Ah don’t keer if you never git through. Anyhow, Ah done promised Gawd and a couple of other men, Ah aint gointer have it in mah house. Don’t gimme no lip neither, else Ah’ll throw ’em out and put mah fist up side yo’ head to boot.”

Delia’s habitual meekness seemed to slip from her shoulders like a blown scarf. She was on her feet; her poor little body, her bare knuckly hands bravely defying the strapping hulk before her.

“Looka heah, Sykes, you done gone too fur. Ah been married to you fur fifteen years, and Ah been takin’ in washin’ for fifteen years. Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!”

“What’s that got to do with me?” he asked brutally.

“What’s it got to do with you, Sykes? Mah tub of suds is filled yo’ belly with vittles more times than yo’ hands is filled it. Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it.”

She seized the iron skillet from the stove and struck a defensive pose, which act surprised him greatly, coming from her. It cowed him and he did not strike her as he usually did.

“Naw you won’t,” she panted, “that ole snaggle-toothed black woman you runnin’ with aint comin’ heah to pile up on mah sweat and blood. You aint paid for nothin’ on this place, and Ah’m gointer stay right heah till Ah’m toted out foot foremost.”

“Well, you better quit gittin’ me riled up, else they’ll be totin’ you out sooner than you expect. Ah’m so tired of you Ah don’t know whut to do. Gawd! how Ah hates skinny wimmen!”

A little awed by this new Delia, he sidled out of the door and slammed the back gate after him. He did not say where he had gone, but she knew too well. She knew very well that he would not return until nearly daybreak also. Her work over, she went on to bed but not to sleep at once. Things had come to a pretty pass!

She lay awake, gazing upon the debris that cluttered their matrimonial trail. Not an image left standing along the way. Anything like flowers had long ago been drowned in the salty stream that had been pressed from her heart. Her tears, her sweat, her blood. She had brought love to the union and he had brought a longing after the flesh. Two months after the wedding, he had given her the first brutal beating. She had the memory of his numerous trips to Orlando with all of his wages when he had returned to her penniless, even before the first year had passed. She was young and soft then, but now she thought of her knotty, muscled limbs, her harsh knuckly hands, and drew herself up into an unhappy little ball in the middle of the big feather bed. Too late now to hope for love, even if it were not Bertha it would be someone else. This case differed from the others only in that she was bolder than the others. Too late for everything except her little home. She had built it for her old days, and planted one by one the trees and flowers there. It was lovely to her, lovely.

Somehow, before sleep came, she found herself saying aloud: “Oh well, whatever goes over the Devil’s back, is got to come under his belly. Sometime or ruther, Sykes, like everybody else, is gointer reap his sowing.” After that she was able to build a spiritual earthworks against her husband. His shells could no longer reach her. Amen. She went to sleep and slept until he announced his presence in bed by kicking her feet and rudely snatching the covers away.

“Gimme some kivah heah, an’ git yo’ damn foots over on yo’ own side! Ah oughter mash you in yo’ mouf fuh drawing dat skillet on me.”

Delia went clear to the rail without answering him. A triumphant indifference to all that he was or did.

The week was as full of work for Delia as all other weeks, and Saturday found her behind her little pony, collecting and delivering clothes.

It was a hot, hot day near the end of July. The village men on Joe Clarke’s porch even chewed cane listlessly. They did not hurl the cane-knots as usual. They let them dribble over the edge of the porch. Even conversation had collapsed under the heat.

“Heah come Delia Jones,” Jim Merchant said, as the shaggy pony came ’round the bend of the road toward them. The rusty buckboard was heaped with baskets of crisp, clean laundry.

“Yep,” Joe Lindsay agreed. “Hot or col’, rain or shine, jes ez reg’lar ez de weeks roll roun’ Delia carries ’em an’ fetches ’em on Sat’day.”

“She better if she wanter eat,” said Moss. “Syke Jones aint wuth de shot an’ powder hit would tek tuh kill ’em. Not to huh he aint. ”

“He sho’ aint,” Walter Thomas chimed in. “It’s too bad, too, cause she wuz a right pritty lil trick when he got huh. Ah’d uh mah’ied huh mahseff if he hadnter beat me to it.”

Delia nodded briefly at the men as she drove past.

“Too much knockin’ will ruin any ‘oman. He done beat huh ‘nough tuh kill three women, let ‘lone change they looks,” said Elijah Moseley. “How Syke kin stommuck dat big black greasy Mogul he’s layin’ roun wid, gits me. Ah swear dat eight-rock couldn’t kiss a sardine can Ah done throwed out de back do’ ‘way las’ yeah.”

“Aw, she’s fat, thass how come. He’s allus been crazy ’bout fat women,” put in Merchant. “He’d a’ been tied up wid one long time ago if he could a’ found one tuh have him. Did Ah tell yuh ’bout him come sidlin’ roun’ mah wife–bringin’ her a basket uh pecans outa his yard fuh a present? Yessir, mah wife! She tol’ him tuh take ’em right straight back home, cause Delia works so hard ovah dat washtub she reckon everything on de place taste lak sweat an’ soapsuds. Ah jus’ wisht Ah’d a’ caught ‘im ‘dere! Ah’d a’ made his hips ketch on fiah down dat shell road.”

“Ah know he done it, too. Ah sees ‘im grinnin’ at every ‘oman dat passes,” Walter Thomas said. “But even so, he useter eat some mighty big hunks uh humble pie tuh git dat lil ‘oman he got. She wuz ez pritty ez a speckled pup! Dat wuz fifteen yeahs ago. He useter be so skeered uh losin’ huh, she could make him do some parts of a husband’s duty. Dey never wuz de same in de mind.”

“There oughter be a law about him,” said Lindsay. “He aint fit tuh carry guts tuh a bear.”

Clarke spoke for the first time. “Taint no law on earth dat kin make a man be decent if it aint in ‘im. There’s plenty men dat takes a wife lak dey do a joint uh sugar-cane. It’s round, juicy an’ sweet when dey gits it. But dey squeeze an’ grind, squeeze an’ grind an’ wring tell dey wring every drop uh pleasure dat’s in ’em out. When dey’s satisfied dat dey is wrung dry, dey treats ’em jes lak dey do a cane-chew. Dey throws em away. Dey knows whut dey is doin’ while dey is at it, an’ hates theirselves fuh it but they keeps on hangin’ after huh tell she’s empty. Den dey hates huh fuh bein’ a cane-chew an’ in de way.”

“We oughter take Syke an’ dat stray ‘oman uh his’n down in Lake Howell swamp an’ lay on de rawhide till they cain’t say Lawd a’ mussy.’ He allus wuz uh ovahbearin’ niggah, but since dat white ‘oman from up north done teached ‘im how to run a automobile, he done got too biggety to live–an’ we oughter kill ‘im,” Old Man Anderson advised.

A grunt of approval went around the porch. But the heat was melting their civic virtue, and Elijah Moseley began to bait Joe Clarke.

“Come on, Joe, git a melon outa dere an’ slice it up for yo’ customers. We’se all sufferin’ wid de heat. De bear’s done got me!”

“Thass right, Joe, a watermelon is jes’ whut Ah needs tuh cure de eppizudicks,” Walter Thomas joined forces with Moseley. “Come on dere, Joe. We all is steady customers an’ you aint set us up in a long time. Ah chooses dat long, bowlegged Floridy favorite.”

“A god, an’ be dough. You all gimme twenty cents and slice way,” Clarke retorted. “Ah needs a col’ slice m’self. Heah, everybody chip in. Ah’ll lend y’ll mah meat knife.”

The money was quickly subscribed and the huge melon brought forth. At that moment, Sykes and Bertha arrived. A determined silence fell on the porch and the melon was put away again.

Merchant snapped down the blade of his jackknife and moved toward the store door.

“Come on in, Joe, an’ gimme a slab uh sow belly an’ uh pound uh coffee–almost fuhgot ’twas Sat’day. Got to git on home.” Most of the men left also.

Just then Delia drove past on her way home, as Sykes was ordering magnificently for Bertha. It pleased him for Delia to see.

“Git whutsoever yo’ heart desires, Honey. Wait a minute, Joe. Give huh two bottles uh strawberry soda-water, uh quart uh parched ground-peas, an’ a block uh chewin’ gum.”

With all this they left the store, with Sykes reminding Bertha that this was his town and she could have it if she wanted it.

The men returned soon after they left, and held their watermelon feast.

“Where did Syke Jones git da ‘oman from nohow?” Lindsay asked.

“Ovah Apopka. Guess dey musta been cleanin’ out de town when she lef’. She don’t look lak a thing but a hunk uh liver wid hair on it.”

“Well, she sho’ kin squall,” Dave Carter contributed. “When she gits ready tuh laff, she jes’ opens huh mouf an’ latches it back tuh de las’ notch. No ole grandpa alligator down in Lake Bell ain’t got nothin’ on huh.”

Bertha had been in town three months now. Sykes was still paying her room rent at Della Lewis’–the only house in town that would have taken her in. Sykes took her frequently to Winter Park to “stomps.” He still assured her that he was the swellest man in the state.

“Sho’ you kin have dat lil’ ole house soon’s Ah kin git dat ‘oman outa dere. Everything b’longs tuh me an’ you sho’ kin have it. Ah sho’ ‘bominates uh skinny ‘oman. Lawdy, you sho’ is got one portly shape on you! You kin git anything you wants. Dis is mah town an’ you sho’ kin have it.”

Delia’s work-worn knees crawled over the earth in Gethsemane and up the rocks of Calvary many, many times during these months. She avoided the villagers and meeting places in her efforts to be blind and deaf. But Bertha nullified this to a degree, by coming to Delia’s house to call Sykes out to her at the gate.

Delia and Sykes fought all the time now with no peaceful interludes. They slept and ate in silence. Two or three times Delia had attempted a timid friendliness, but she was repulsed each time. It was plain that the breaches must remain agape.

The sun had burned July to August. The heat streamed down like a million hot arrows, smiting all things living upon the earth. Grass withered, leaves browned, snakes went blind in shedding and men and dogs went mad. Dog days!

Delia came home one day and found Sykes there before her. She wondered, but started to go on into the house without speaking, even though he was standing in the kitchen door and she must either stoop under his arm or ask him to move. He made no room for her. She noticed a soap box beside the steps, but paid no particular attention to it, knowing that he must have brought it there. As she was stooping to pass under his outstretched arm, he suddenly pushed her backward, laughingly.

“Look in de box dere Delia, Ah done brung yuh somethin’!”

She nearly fell upon the box in her stumbling, and when she saw what it held, she all but fainted outright.

“Syke! Syke, mah Gawd! You take dat rattlesnake ‘way from heah! You gottuh. Oh, Jesus, have mussy!”

“Ah aint gut tuh do nuthin’ uh de kin’–fact is Ah aint got tuh do nothin’ but die. Taint no use uh you puttin’ on airs makin’ out lak you skeered uh dat snake–he’s gointer stay right heah tell he die. He wouldn’t bite me cause Ah knows how tuh handle ‘im. Nohow he wouldn’t risk breakin’ out his fangs ‘gin yo’ skinny laigs.”

“Naw, now Syke, don’t keep dat thing ‘roun’ heah tuh skeer me tuh death. You knows Ah’m even feared uh earth worms. Thass de biggest snake Ah evah did see. Kill ‘im Syke, please.”

“Doan ast me tuh do nothin’ fuh yuh. Goin’ roun’ trying’ tuh be so damn asterperious. Naw, Ah aint gonna kill it. Ah think uh damn sight mo’ uh him dan you! Dat’s a nice snake an’ anybody doan lak ‘im kin jes’ hit de grit.”

The village soon heard that Sykes had the snake, and came to see and ask questions.

“How de hen-fire did you ketch dat six-foot rattler, Syke?” Thomas asked.

“He’s full uh frogs so he caint hardly move, thass how. Ah eased up on ‘m. But Ah’m a snake charmer an’ knows how tuh handle ’em. Shux, dat aint nothin’. Ah could ketch one eve’y day if Ah so wanted tuh.”

“Whut he needs is a heavy hick’ry club leaned real heavy on his head. Dat’s de bes ‘way tuh charm a rattlesnake.”

“Naw, Walt, y’ll jes’ don’t understand dese diamon’ backs lak Ah do,” said Sykes in a superior tone of voice.

The village agreed with Walter, but the snake stayed on. His box remained by the kitchen door with its screen wire covering. Two or three days later it had digested its meal of frogs and literally came to life. It rattled at every movement in the kitchen or the yard. One day as Delia came down the kitchen steps she saw his chalky-white fangs curved like scimitars hung in the wire meshes. This time she did not run away with averted eyes as usual. She stood for a long time in the doorway in a red fury that grew bloodier for every second that she regarded the creature that was her torment.

That night she broached the subject as soon as Sykes sat down to the table.

“Syke, Ah wants you tuh take dat snake ‘way fum heah. You done starved me an’ Ah put up widcher, you done beat me an Ah took dat, but you done kilt all mah insides bringin’ dat varmint heah.”

Sykes poured out a saucer full of coffee and drank it deliberately before he answered her.

“A whole lot Ah keer ’bout how you feels inside uh out. Dat snake aint goin’ no damn wheah till Ah gits ready fuh ‘im tuh go. So fur as beatin’ is concerned, yuh aint took near all dat you gointer take ef yuh stay ‘roun’ me.”

Delia pushed back her plate and got up from the table. “Ah hates you, Sykes,” she said calmly. “Ah hates you tuh de same degree dat Ah useter love yuh. Ah done took an’ took till mah belly is full up tuh mah neck. Dat’s de reason Ah got mah letter fum de church an’ moved mah membership tuh Woodbridge–so Ah don’t haf tuh take no sacrament wid yuh. Ah don’t wantuh see yuh ‘roun’ me atall. Lay ‘roun’ wid dat ‘oman all yuh wants tuh, but gwan ‘way fum me an’ mah house. Ah hates yuh lak uh suck-egg dog.”

Sykes almost let the huge wad of corn bread and collard greens he was chewing fall out of his mouth in amazement. He had a hard time whipping himself up to the proper fury to try to answer Delia.

“Well, Ah’m glad you does hate me. Ah’m sho’ tiahed uh you hangin’ ontuh me. Ah don’t want yuh. Look at yuh stringey ole neck! Yo’ rawbony laigs an’ arms is enough tuh cut uh man tuh death. You looks jes’ lak de devvul’s doll-baby tuh me. You cain’t hate me no worse dan Ah hates you. Ah been hatin’ you fuh years.”

“Yo’ ole black hide don’t look lak nothin’ tuh me, but uh passle uh wrinkled up rubber, wid yo’ big ole yeahs flappin’ on each side lak uh paih uh buzzard wings. Don’t think Ah’m gointuh be run ‘way fum mah house neither. Ah’m goin’ tuh de white folks bout you, mah young man, de very nex’ time you lay yo’ han’s on me. Mah cup is done run ovah.” Delia said this with no signs of fear and Sykes departed from the house, threatening her, but made not the slightest move to carry out any of them.

That night he did not return at all, and the next day being Sunday, Delia was glad she did not have to quarrel before she hitched up her pony and drove the four miles to Woodbridge.

She stayed to the night service–“love feast”–which was very warm and full of spirit. In the emotional winds her domestic trials were borne far and wide so that she sang as she drove homeward.

“Jurden water, black an’ col’

Chills de body, not de soul

An’ Ah wantah cross Jurden in uh calm time.”

She came from the barn to the kitchen door and stopped.

“Whut’s de mattah, ol’ satan, you aint kickin’ up yo’ racket?” She addressed the snake’s box. Complete silence. She went on into the house with a new hope in its birth struggles. Perhaps her threat to go to the white folks had frightened Sykes! Perhaps he was sorry! Fifteen years of misery and suppression had brought Delia to the place where she would hope anything that looked towards a way over or through her wall of inhibitions.

She felt in the match safe behind the stove at once for a match. There was only one there.

“Dat niggah wouldn’t fetch nothin’ heah tuh save his rotten neck, but he kin run thew whut Ah brings quick enough. Now he done toted off nigh on tuh haff uh box uh matches. He done had dat ‘oman heah in mah house, too.”

Nobody but a woman could tell how she knew this even before she struck the match. But she did and it put her into a new fury.

Presently she brought in the tubs to put the white things to soak. This time she decided she need not bring the hamper out of the bedroom; she would go in there and do the sorting. She picked up the pot-bellied lamp and went in. The room was small and the hamper stood hard by the foot of the white iron bed. She could sit and reach through the bedposts–resting as she worked.

“Ah wantah cross Jurden in uh calm time,” she was singing again. The mood of the “love feast” had returned. She threw back the lid of the basket almost gaily. Then, moved by both horror and terror, she sprang back toward the door. There lay the snake in the basket! He moved sluggishly at first, but even as she turned round and round, jumped up and down in an insanity of fear, he began to stir vigorously. She saw him pouring his awful beauty from the basket upon the bed, then she seized the lamp and ran as fast as she could to the kitchen. The wind from the open door blew out the light and the darkness added to her terror. She sped to the darkness of the yard, slamming the door after her before she thought to set down the lamp. She did not feel safe even on the ground, so she climbed up in the hay barn.

There for an hour or more she lay sprawled upon the hay a gibbering wreck.

Finally, she grew quiet, and after that, coherent thought. With this, stalked through her a cold, bloody rage. Hours of this. A period of introspection, a space of retrospection, then a mixture of both. Out of this an awful calm.

“Well, Ah done de bes’ Ah could. If things aint right, Gawd knows taint mah fault.”

She went to sleep–a twitch sleep–and woke up to a faint gray sky. There was a loud hollow sound below. She peered out. Sykes was at the wood-pile, demolishing a wire-covered box.

He hurried to the kitchen door, but hung outside there some minutes before he entered, and stood some minutes more inside before he closed it after him.

The gray in the sky was spreading. Delia descended without fear now, and crouched beneath the low bedroom window. The drawn shade shut out the dawn, shut in the night. But the thin walls held back no sound.

“Dat ol’ scratch is woke up now!” She mused at the tremendous whirr inside, which every woodsman knows, is one of the sound illusions. The rattler is a ventriloquist. His whirr sounds to the right, to the left, straight ahead, behind, close under foot–everywhere but where it is. Woe to him who guesses wrong unless he is prepared to hold up his end of the argument! Sometimes he strikes without rattling at all.

Inside, Sykes heard nothing until he knocked a pot lid off the stove while trying to reach the match safe in the dark. He had emptied his pockets at Bertha’s.

The snake seemed to wake up under the stove and Sykes made a quick leap into the bedroom. In spite of the gin he had had, his head was clearing now.

“‘Mah Gawd!” he chattered, “ef Ah could on’y strack uh light!”

The rattling ceased for a moment as he stood paralyzed. He waited. It seemed that the snake waited also.

“Oh, fuh de light! Ah thought he’d be too sick”–Sykes was muttering to himself when the whirr began again, closer, right underfoot this time. Long before this, Sykes’ ability to think had been flattened down to primitive instinct and he leaped–onto the bed.

Outside Delia heard a cry that might have come from a maddened chimpanzee, a stricken gorilla. All the terror, all the horror, all the rage that man possibly could express, without a recognizable human sound.

A tremendous stir inside there, another series of animal screams, the intermittent whirr of the reptile. The shade torn violently down from the window, letting in the red dawn, a huge brown hand seizing the window stick, great dull blows upon the wooden floor punctuating the gibberish of sound long after the rattle of the snake had abruptly subsided. All this Delia could see and hear from her place beneath the window, and it made her ill. She crept over to the four-o’clocks and stretched herself on the cool earth to recover.

She lay there. “Delia. Delia!” She could hear Sykes calling in a most despairing tone as one who expected no answer. The sun crept on up, and he called. Delia could not move–her legs were gone flabby. She never moved, he called, and the sun kept rising.

“Mah Gawd!” She heard him moan, “Mah Gawd fum Heben!” She heard him stumbling about and got up from her flower-bed. The sun was growing warm. As she approached the door she heard him call out hopefully, “Delia, is dat you Ah heah?”

She saw him on his hands and knees as soon as she reached the door. He crept an inch or two toward her–all that he was able, and she saw his horribly swollen neck and his one open eye shining with hope. A surge of pity too strong to support bore her away from that eye that must, could not, fail to see the tubs. He would see the lamp. Orlando with its doctors was too far. She could scarcely reach the Chinaberry tree, where she waited in the growing heat while inside she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye which must know by now that she knew.

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30 thoughts on ““Sweat” — Zora Neale Hurston”

Wonderful wonderful Hurston. I never read this one.

It’s *maybe* my favorite thing by her, and certainly one of my favorite stories.

Faulkneresque

“Sweat” was first published in 1926—the same year that Faulkner’s first (and not so great) novel Soldiers’ Pay came out. The Sound and the Fury was published in 1929. They were certainly drawing from the same cultural energies, but Huston is an original, in fairness.

He brought in the devil and was devoured by the devil. All she had to do was wait! I loved the story.

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Reblogged this on Corner Store Press and commented: When I first started reading Zora Neale Hurston, I had to read aloud in order to get the rhythm of the dialogue. It was worth it.

Reblogged this on Project Chula and commented: Night Time Read: Zora Neale Hurston’s Short “Sweat”

[…] in the African American vernacular and opened the doors for the true story of what life was like. Here is the link to the short story , I highly recommend reading […]

It was good story, I love it’s my fav by far. Great Love Story.

[…] Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” is only 4743 words long (about 15 pages), the scope of the work reaches farther than most […]

[…] Write an analysis of a key character in a literary work. Describe two to three key actions of the character, or how the character responds to events. What do the actions reveal about the character? Do the character’s actions fit together, or do they contradict each other? If they contradict, what does that contradiction say about the character’s emotional and mental capacity? Analyze the character’s psychological background. Why does the character act in the way he/she does? How does the author’s characterization in the text reflect this psychological background? https://biblioklept.org/2013/01/21/sweat-zora-neale-hurston/ […]

[…] Source: “Sweat” — Zora Neale Hurston […]

[…] Sweat – Biblioklept […]

[…] Why the Re-Writeƒ?Ý This week, students have been asked to complete the Creative Responsive Writing Assignment which allows them to choose one of the short stories read during the course, and write their own version of it. In this weekƒ??s journal entry, students must explain what theyƒ??ve done with the creative responsive writing assignment. What story did they choose to re-write and why? What aspects of the original story did they change? What did they leave the same? What aspects of the original story did they find problematic? Did their re-write address those problems? What did the students learn from this assignment? Please address these questions in a two to three page journal entry. Your journal entry must be typed in double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font with one inch margins at the top, bottom, left, and right. Story is Sweatƒ? by Zora Neale Hurston (use the following link) “Sweat” — Zora Neale Hurston […]

[…] Sweat, by Zora Neale Hurston. A story about a black washerwoman and her abusive, insecure husband. The southern dialect takes a few paragraphs to get used to. […]

[…] #3 “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston […]

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[…] Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston […]

[…] Text Link […]

[…] skip a space and discuss how Hurston’s story https://biblioklept.org/2013/01/21/sweat-zora-neal&#8230 ; aligns with what you’ve learned about both Modernism and the Harlem […]

[…] 2. Sweat https://biblioklept.org/2013/01/21/sweat-zora-neal&#8230 ; […]

[…] READ FULL TEXT HERE […]

[…] you sho’ is got one portly shape on you! You kin git anything you wants,” (Hurston, 2013, https://biblioklept.org/2013/01/21/sweat-zora-neale-hurston/ ). Unappreciated, and openly humiliated, Delia still tries to make amends with Sykes, but to no […]

[…] https://biblioklept.org/2013/01/21/sweat-zora-neale-hurston/ […]

[…] First published in 1926 in Fire!!, available to read online on Biblioklept here […]

[…] “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston […]

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Zora Neale Hurston

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Sweat: Introduction

Sweat: plot summary, sweat: detailed summary & analysis, sweat: themes, sweat: quotes, sweat: characters, sweat: symbols, sweat: literary devices, sweat: quiz, sweat: theme wheel, brief biography of zora neale hurston.

Historical Context of Sweat

Other books related to sweat.

• Full Title: Sweat
• When Written: 1920s
• Where Written: Harlem, New York
• When Published: 1926
• Literary Period: Harlem Renaissance
• Genre: Short story
• Setting: 1920s Eatonville, Florida, the first all-black town to incorporate in the United States
• Climax: When Sykes returns to the house and is bitten by the rattlesnake
• Antagonist: Sykes
• Point of View: Third person omniscient

Extra Credit for Sweat

Revived Influence Hurston’s writings fell out of the public eye until Alice Walker revived interest in Hurston’s work with the 1975 essay “In Search of Zora Neale Hurston,” published in Ms. magazine. Hurston is now widely acknowledged as one of the foremost authors of the Harlem Renaissance, and the most successful black woman writer of the early twentieth century.

New Birthday. Hurston started claiming to be 10 years younger than she actually was in order to finish her high school education at the age of 26; from this time on, she told others that she had been born in 1901 in Eatonville.

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Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Summary and Study Guide

Summary: “sweat”.

The short story “Sweat” by American author Zora Neale Hurston was first published in 1926 in Fire!! , a single-issue magazine published during the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston was an anthropologist and writer whose works included many essays on anthropology and folklore focused on African American communities in the American South and the Caribbean, as well as novels and short stories. Her interest in anthropology is reflected in her creative work. For example, she often wrote dialog in vernacular to capture the everyday diction and idioms, and with adapted phonetic spellings to capture the sound and rhythm , of the English spoken by Black people in the rural south, specifically Florida, in the early 20th century. This vernacular dialog style is a strong element in “Sweat.” (Readers should be aware that this diction includes racial slurs, which appear in only a few spots in the story.)

“Sweat” begins with the protagonist , Delia Jones , setting to work late on a Sunday night. A washerwoman, she sorts clothes in her kitchen after attending church during the day. As she works, she wonders where her husband, Sykes (alternately called “Syke” in the story’s dialog), has gone with her cart and pony. Suddenly, something snakelike falls onto her shoulder. Delia freezes in fear but soon realizes that the object is the tail of the whip Sykes carries when driving the pony. She screams and scolds Sykes for scaring her, but he only laughs at her fear. In the fight that follows, Sykes attacks Delia’s hypocrisy for going to Sunday services then working (when Sunday is to be a day of rest for Christians) and for working for white people. Sykes threatens that he won’t allow her work, the white customers’ laundry, in the house any longer.

Delia replies that Sykes has gone too far and picks up a frying pan. She asserts that her work is her own and points to everything that her work has purchased and provided for them throughout their marriage. Sykes, intimidated by Delia’s unusually bold behavior, leaves the house.

Delia finishes her work for the night and heads to bed. She reflects on their marriage, including Sykes’s abuse, lack of work, failure to bring in money, and ongoing infidelities. She decides that it is too late to hope for anything different from him. Alone in bed, she resolves that she could be safe from hurt and that Sykes will someday reap what he sows. Very late, Sykes returns home and gets into bed with a few more insults and threats. Delia stays far on her side of the bed, indifferent.

The next scene opens on a group of neighborhood men on the porch of the local store. It is extremely hot, and everyone is moving slowly. The men see Delia’s pony-drawn buckboard approaching and note that she’s on her way to deliver clean laundry and pick up the dirty laundry for the coming week’s work. They remark on her hard labor then discuss Sykes. They disapprove of his abuse, and several men note that he has wrung the beauty and life out of Delia. They condemn his womanizing while also insulting Bertha , the woman with whom he is currently cheating. Two of the men say Sykes is out of line and they really ought to kill him. The conversation suddenly turns back to the heat, and the men ask the store owner to bring out a watermelon for all to share.

Just as the watermelon is brought out, Sykes and Bertha approach the store. The men put the watermelon away, and most of them make excuses to leave. Delia’s wagon passes by again just as Sykes is buying things for Bertha. He is happy that Delia sees him treating his lover in public. After the couple leave, the men return to the porch.

Sykes shares with Bertha his intent to get Delia out of the house so they can live there together, bragging about all he can provide for Bertha. Days later, Sykes brings home a diamondback rattlesnake captured in a screen-topped wooden box. He is pleased that the snake frightens Delia. When she stresses her extreme fear of the animal and anything snakelike, Sykes insults her and implies that she should leave if she can’t stand it.

Neighbors hear about Sykes’s snake and come around to see it. When the other men ask about the danger of the snake and suggest killing it, Sykes brags about knowing how to handle snakes. One day, Delia walks through the doorway and sees the snake hungry and angry, hanging from the box’s wire top by its fangs. Rather than run away scared, she stares at the snake and grows angry. She confronts Sykes, demanding that he get rid of the snake.

The following Sunday, Delia goes to church as usual, then returns home to sort the week’s laundry. Walking across the porch, she finds that the snake is not in its box. She hopes this means the snake is gone and that Sykes is sorry and things will change.

She gets to work happily, setting out her tubs in the kitchen and making other preparations throughout the house. When she opens the large basket of laundry in the bedroom, she finds the rattlesnake inside, ready to strike. It slithers out of the basket and onto the bed. Despite her panic, Delia escapes the room. She slams the door but fears that won’t be enough. She flees across the yard to the barn, where she climbs into the hayloft and waits for hours, too frightened to return to the house. She eventually becomes filled with rage. After thinking that she’s done her best and is not at fault for anything else that comes, Delia falls into a fitful sleep.

She wakes just before dawn to the sound of Sykes breaking up the snake’s box. He has returned home but not yet entered the house. When the box is destroyed, he heads into the house. Delia exits the barn and crouches under the bedroom window. She hears Sykes grumbling and trying to find matches to light the lantern, and then she hears the snake’s rattle. Delia knows Sykes cannot tell where the snake is because the sound of the rattle can be tricky. She hears Sykes head into the bedroom. Soon, Sykes screams and struggles, and Delia knows the snake is striking him. Sickened, she moves away from the window and lays in the flowerbed.

After some time, she approaches the doorway. Sykes hears her footsteps and calls out to her. She steps in and sees him on the floor, unable to move and in pain, with a terribly swollen throat and face. Only one of his eyes is open, but he looks at Delia with hope.

Delia flees back into the yard, knowing Sykes saw her. She briefly thinks that the doctors are too far away. She realizes that he would’ve seen her things moved in the house before the snake bit him and thus must know that she knew the snake was in the house yet did not warn him. He likely also knows that she saw him suffering but will not help him. She stands silently under a chinaberry tree in the yard as he dies.

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“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston: A Multidimensional Critique

This poignant short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston was published in 1926 within the single issue of the influential Harlem Renaissance literary magazine Fire!!.

Introduction: “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Table of Contents

This poignant short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston was published in 1926 within the single issue of the influential Harlem Renaissance literary magazine Fire!! . Known for its rich depiction of Southern African American life and Hurston’s distinctive use of dialect, the story explores themes of gender inequality, resilience, and the complex power dynamics within a troubled marriage. Delia, the hardworking washerwoman protagonist, endures years of abuse at the hands of her cruel and unfaithful husband, Sykes. The story unfolds with a vivid, almost folkloric quality, delving into the symbolism of snakes, the relentless grind of labor, and Delia’s ultimate act of defiance in the face of oppression.

Main Events in “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

• Delia is verbally abused by her husband, Sykes. He scares her with a bullwhip, mocks her fear of snakes, and forces her to sort the white folks’ laundry in her house.
• Delia stands up to Sykes. She refuses to be intimidated and talks about how he doesn’t contribute to the home but lives off of her hard work from washing clothes.
• Sykes leaves and brings home a mistress. He flaunts his new relationship with Bertha.
• Sykes continues to disrespect their home. He disregards Delia’s objections to keeping laundry in the house and undermines her values.
• Local townspeople gossip about Sykes. They criticize his treatment of Delia and open relationship with Bertha, expressing sympathy for Delia.
• Sykes brings home a rattlesnake. He deliberately tries to terrorize Delia by keeping it in a box by the kitchen.
• Delia expresses her hatred of Sykes. She stands up for herself, saying her love has turned to hate, and she’ll no longer tolerate his abuse.
• Sykes brags about his new mistress. He continually degrades Delia’s appearance and tells her he can’t wait to get rid of her.
• Delia confronts the snake. She bravely lights her way into the bedroom to sort laundry and is horrified to find the snake now loose in the hamper.
• Delia flees the house and hides. She escapes to the hayloft in terror, eventually gathering her strength and resolve.
• Sykes returns and demolishes the snake’s box. Delia hears this from her hiding place.
• Delia witnesses Sykes being bitten by the snake. She hears the struggle, the horrific screams, and watches him desperately trying to escape the bedroom.
• Sykes calls for Delia’s help. He pleads desperately, knowing only she might be able to save him.
• Delia refuses to help. She knows it is too late and that helping him would go against everything she now believes.
• Sykes dies from the snakebite. Delia waits, knowing he is dying a slow, agonizing death, and feels only relief.

Literary Devices in “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

1. Allusion : References to external ideas or texts to add meaning.

• Biblical Allusions: Sykes mistreating Delia and his eventual punishment evoke the story of Adam and Eve and the concept of reaping what you sow. “Whut’s de mattah, ol’ satan, you aint kickin’ up yo’ racket?” (Hurston).

2. Dialect : The use of regional, non-standard English to represent the authentic speech patterns of the characters.

• Southern African American Dialect: “Ah hates you tuh de same degree dat Ah useter love yuh.” (Hurston).

3. Foreshadowing : Hints of events to come, creating suspense.

• Sykes bringing a rattlesnake home: “He set it down carefully beside the wash-tub and stepped back respectfully but not hastily” (Hurston). This foreshadows his eventual demise.

4. Hyperbole : Intentional exaggeration for emphasis:

• Delia’s workload: “Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!” (Hurston).

5. Imagery : Vivid language appealing to the senses:

• The Chinaberry tree: “A great tree that threw off cool, pungent odors…Delia used to sit there…a long time after Sykes had gone” (Hurston). Represents Delia’s peace and hope.

6. Irony : A contrast between expectation and reality:

• Sykes’ Death: Sykes intended to use the snake to torment and kill Delia. Instead, he is the one who dies in a horribly ironic twist.

7. Juxtaposition : Placing contrasting ideas near each other for emphasis:

• Delia and Sykes: Delia is hardworking and virtuous, while Sykes is lazy and immoral. Their differences are highlighted throughout the story.

8. Metaphor : A direct comparison between unlike things:

• Sykes’ comparison to the snake: “He is a snake in the grass” is an implied metaphor throughout the story, associating him with evil and treachery.

9. Motif : A recurring element that reinforces a theme:

• Sweat: Symbolizes Delia’s labor, suffering, and strength.

10. Paradox : A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth.

• Delia witnessing Sykes’ death: She is horrified by his suffering, yet feels both a “glorious independence” and the fear it brings (Hurston).

11. Personification : Giving human qualities to non-human things:

• Of the house: “Her house…had crouched down to shelter the space” (Hurston).

12. Repetition : Repeating words or phrases for emphasis:

• “Sweat, sweat, sweat!”: Drives home the magnitude of Delia’s hardship.

13. Simile : A comparison using “like” or “as”:

• Delia’s fear: “[Her voice] small like a frightened child’s” (Hurston).

14. Symbolism : Objects or actions representing ideas or concepts:

• The snake: Represents evil, corruption, and ultimately Sykes himself.

15. Understatement : Deliberately underplaying the significance of something for effect.

• Delia’s relief at Sykes’ death: “…she sobbed and subbed until she had no more tears left to fall” (Hurston). Though understated, her response implies deep relief after years of abuse.

Characterization in “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Major characters.

• Hardworking and Resilient: Her primary characteristic is her tireless work ethic as a washerwoman, even in oppressive Florida heat. “She squatted in the kitchen floor beside the great pile of clothes…Sweat, sweat, sweat!” (Hurston).
• Religious: Initially, Delia is deeply religious, seeking solace in prayer and church. “[She] raced down the road to the church” (Hurston). This faith is later challenged by Sykes’ cruelty.
• Transformation: While starting as timid and fearful, Delia gains strength against Sykes’ abuse. In the climax, she refuses to help him, leading indirectly to his death, “[She] could scarcely reach the Chinaberry tree, where she waited in the growing heat while inside she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye which must know by now that she knew” (Hurston).
• Cruel and Abusive: Sykes’ sadistic behavior defines him. He frightens Delia with the snake, flaunts his mistress Bertha, beats her, and tries to kill her. He represents toxic masculinity.
• Lazy and Entitled: He refuses to work, living off Delia’s labor. This sense of entitlement fuels his belief he can treat her in any way.
• Symbolic Death: His death by his own snake isn’t just ironic; it symbolizes how the evil he inflicted was his own undoing.

Minor Characters

• Bertha: Sykes’ mistress. She’s mostly symbolic, representing his brazen disregard for Delia and the community’s acceptance of his infidelity. Her physical size reinforces her power over Sykes in their relationship.
• Highlighting Gender Dynamics: Their comments about Delia and Sykes showcase the ingrained sexism of the community.
• Establishing Community: They give a sense of a small-town where everyone knows each other’s business.
• External Judgement: Their disapproval of Sykes creates a sense of social justice, even if they don’t directly intervene on Delia’s behalf.

Character Analysis Note

Zora Neale Hurston avoids painting fully “good” or “bad” characters. Delia is strong, yet her initial fear is understandable. Sykes, monstrous as he is, evokes pity on some level for being trapped in his own cycle of cruelty

Major Themes in “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Writing Style in “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

• Hurston utilizes Southern African American dialect to showcase the characters’ heritage and add authenticity to the setting.
• Examples: “Ah hates you tuh de same degree dat Ah useter love yuh.” (Hurston).
• Hurston’s evocative descriptions bring the physical world and characters’ emotions to life.
• Example: “The sweat beaded on her temples and ran down her face in streaks…Her arms were slick and wet…” (Hurston).
• Symbolic elements add layers of meaning to the story’s themes.
• The snake represents evil and Sykes’ destructive nature (Ref: “He set it down carefully beside the wash-tub…” (Hurston)).
• Delia, the washerwoman, embodies strength and resilience (Ref: “Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat…” (Hurston)).
• The story transitions between Delia and Sykes’ perspectives, providing a well-rounded understanding of their motivations.
• Hurston’s masterful use of language and imagery creates a powerful and moving story.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Questions about “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

• How does Hurston use symbolism to portray the theme of oppression in “Sweat”?
• Thesis: Through the use of symbolic imagery such as the snake and the white clothes, Zora Neale Hurston conveys the theme of oppression and the struggle for liberation in “Sweat.”
• In what ways does “Sweat” reflect the historical experiences of African Americans in the rural South during the early 20th century?
• Thesis: Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” provides a window into the social and economic realities of African Americans living in the rural South during the early 20th century, highlighting the effects of racial and gender oppression on their lives.
• How does the portrayal of gender roles in “Sweat” reflect the broader societal expectations placed on women during this time period?
• Thesis: Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” depicts the struggles faced by women who were expected to conform to traditional gender roles and highlights the ways in which patriarchal oppression impacted their lives.
• What is the significance of the setting in “Sweat” and how does it contribute to the themes of the story?
• Thesis: Through the portrayal of the rural Southern setting in “Sweat,” Zora Neale Hurston conveys the cultural and historical context of the story, highlighting the challenges faced by African Americans living in this region during this time period.

Short Question-Answer “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

• Question 1: How does the setting of “Sweat” contribute to its exploration of key themes?
• Answer: The rural Florida setting underscores themes of isolation and vulnerability. Delia’s entrapment within an abusive relationship is amplified by the lack of external support systems. The oppressive heat mirrors the suffocating atmosphere of her marriage. The community’s passive judgment reinforces the limited options available to women in her situation.
• Question 2: What is the most significant symbol in “Sweat” and how does it function?
• Answer: The snake is the most potent symbol. It embodies both Sykes’ malicious nature and the pervasive evil of domestic abuse. Its presence foreshadows his demise and serves as a reminder of the insidious ways violence can infiltrate the most intimate spaces.
• Question 3: In what ways does Delia exercise agency within the story?
• Answer: Despite the abuse she endures, Delia demonstrates agency through her industriousness and financial independence. Her transformation is marked by a growing defiance of Sykes, culminating in the morally complex decision to withhold aid. This act, while chilling, signifies an assertion of self-preservation in a desperate situation.
• Question 4: What are the literary functions of Hurston’s use of dialect in “Sweat”?
• Answer: Zora Neale Hurston’s use of dialect serves multiple purposes. It provides authenticity and depth to the characters, grounding them in their regional and cultural identity. Additionally, during the Harlem Renaissance, it was a form of literary preservation, celebrating the richness and nuance of Black vernacular.

Literary Works Similar to “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

• “ The Yellow Wallpaper ” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: This short story explores themes of female confinement within patriarchal structures and the psychological unraveling that can result.
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker: This novel delves into themes of domestic abuse, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative power of female bonds within the context of Black Southern life.
• Short Stories by Flannery O’Connor: O’Connor’s works share Hurston’s Southern Gothic sensibility, often featuring flawed characters facing moral dilemmas, with elements of violence and unexpected twists.

Non-Fiction:

• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Hurston’s acclaimed novel explores themes of identity, love, and female agency within the Black experience, providing a counterpoint to the domestic oppression depicted in “Sweat”.
• Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston: This autobiography offers insights into Hurston’s personal experiences, cultural influences, and perspectives, which shaped her storytelling style and thematic focus.
• Works by Langston Hughes: A leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes’ poetry celebrates Black vernacular and explores a range of experiences reflecting Black life in America, often expressing themes of struggle, resilience, and cultural pride.

Suggested Readings: “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Scholarly articles.

• Bell, Bernard W. “Folk Art and the Harlem Renaissance.” The Massachusetts Review , vol. 31, no. 1/2, 1990, pp. 295–309. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/25090100. Explores Hurston’s use of folklore and its connection to broader artistic and cultural movements.
• Provides in-depth analysis of the story’s narrative structure, symbolism, and thematic complexity.
• Situates Hurston’s work, including “Sweat,” within the broader context of African American literary history and critical debates.

Anthology with Critical Introduction

• Contains the text of the story alongside insightful critical commentary by leading scholars.

Additional Resources

• Examines Hurston’s portrayal of community and Southern Black culture within the story.
• Provides biographical information, critical essays, and access to primary source materials related to Hurston’s life and work.

Related posts:

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• “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce: Analysis
• “Civil Peace” by Chinua Achebe: Analysis
• “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor: Analysis

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• The Snake in Hurston’s Short Story “Sweat” Words: 621
• Delia’s Tenacity in the Short Story “Sweat” by Hurston Words: 1002
• “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston: Plot, Characters, and Main Themes Words: 1141

“Sweat” Short Story by Zora Neale Hurston

Introduction, major themes, feminist analysis, works cited.

“Sweat” is a fictional short story in Southern American literature written by Zora Neale Hurston. Telling an unfortunate and dark story of domestic abuse, the focus of this fiction focuses on the struggles and perseverance of the hardworking protagonist Delia. “Sweat” demonstrates a feminist perspective of overcoming abuse and achieving justice based on themes and symbolism of good and evil as well as female empowerment.

The plot of “Sweat” is interesting in that it offers a significant number of contrasts. The social class of underprivileged and wealthy, race of black and white, the roles of women and men are inherently contrasted and compared throughout the story. To some extent, each one is also a contrast between good and evil, in the context of this story. Whites are negatively described in the story, while African Americans are good hardworking folk. Delia is a good woman while Sykes is a bad man. Delia thought to herself, “Fifteen years of misery and suppression had brought Delia to the place where she would hope anything that looked towards a way over or through her wall of inhibitions” (Hurston).

Of course, life is more complex than such a bipolar approach. However, the character of Delia is a representation of virtue, patience, and to some extent purity as she continues to work hard and tolerate her husband while being a contributing member of society and the church. Meanwhile, Sykes is a representation of vice and darkness through his actions and violence. It is a clash of good and evil, but goodness triumphs in a most ironic and karmic turn of events as the snake that Sykes hoped would kill Delia ended up suffering the fate he wished upon his wife as fate led to his undoing.

The primary symbol to explore in the context of the feminist perspective and major themes of this essay is the snake. Rattlesnakes are a common threat in Florida during certain seasons, and Delia was rightly fearful of them as the bite could be deadly. The symbolism of the snake is shown from the beginning of the story as Sykes throws a whip at his wife, “Sykes, what you throw at whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me–looks just like a snake, an’ you know how skeered Ah is of snakes” (Hurston). Subsequently, they erupt into an argument and it becomes another demonstration of Sykes’ abuse and control over his wife.

Hurston foreshadows the fate of Sykes at this point as the snake symbolism becomes representative of death as well. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that the snake in this story is a Biblical allusion as well since serpents in Christianity have always represented evil (Carter 605). The snake’s venom is a symbol of the abuse and toxicity which Sykes brings. Therefore, when he tries to use that “evil,” a rattlesnake to get rid of his wife, it turns on him. In a manner, his abuse and toxicity were the fundamental cause of his demise.

As demonstrated by the themes and symbolism in “Sweat,” it is evident that the short story has strong feminist undertones. The story’s publication in 1926 by a black female author was an achievement of its own due to numerous societal obstacles. Therefore, viewing the story through a lens of feminist literary criticism, critics agree that Hurston’s gender and race identity are reflected in the writing, and deliver a strong political message on social inequality. “Sweat” primarily tells a story of a marriage, one that is deeply grounded in the stereotypical and most traditional roots of marginalized groups and societal expectations.

Delia is a homely woman, a caretaker of her own home but others as well in order to earn money. Meanwhile, her husband, despite his affairs, alcoholism, and abuse has dominant control over her life. While skillfully presenting this female inequality in the plot, Hurston subtly shows aspects of feminism (Burke).

Delia is strong and independent, despite her race and living in a patriarchal society, she is underprivileged by both race and gender. However, she is able to support her family and survive abuse and adversity, empowerment which in its very nature emasculates men. She maintains a purpose and dedication to her job as a potential pathway to success, and similar to Hurston herself, Delia succeeds in spite of obstacles and can achieve some level of liberation from her abusive husband.

It is implied that Delia will be able to live a much freer and happier life independent from Sykes. In the context of the time period and society, it was expected that a woman can only achieve stability and happiness in marriage. Hurston’s life and upbringing likely influenced the development of the story “Sweat” and its feminist themes and plot are an excellent literary example of early progressive feminism, representing a black female voice in a largely masculine, patriarchal society (Banu 41).

“Sweat,” tells a story of an abusive marriage and a protagonist who struggles with being underprivileged in race and gender while working hard to achieve something in life. Hurston portrays this life as a continuous struggle between good and evil which represents itself in various forms. Furthermore, it is a story of feminism and feminine empowerment as the author demonstrates motifs of a woman that is able to achieve happiness and independence by overcoming obstacles and becoming free from an abusive relationship.

Banu, Sheela R. “A Feminist Reading of Zora Neale Hurston’s Sweat.” Rock Pebbles , vol. 17, no. 4, 2013, pp. 38-41. Web.

Burke, Marion C. “ Zora Neale Hurston’s Sweat and the Black Female Voice: The Perspective of the African-American Woman. ” Inquiries Journal , vol. 4, no. 5, 2012. Web.

Carter, Catherine. “ The God in the Snake, the Devil in the Phallus: Biblical Revision and Radical Conservatism in Hurston’s ‘Sweat.’ ” The Mississippi Quarterly , vol. 67, no. 4, 2014, pp. 605-620. Web.

Hurston, Zora N. “ Sweat. ” Biblioklept . 2013. Web.

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Zora Neale Hurston: Short Stories

Portrayals of domestic abuse and passive resistance in “sweat” dessi m. gravely 12th grade.

Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “Sweat,” published in 1926, focuses on Delia and Sykes Jones and their volatile marriage. The protagonist, Delia Jones, suffers at the hands of her abusive husband, the antagonist, Sykes. In her work, Hurston discusses the various forms in which domestic abuse manifests itself. Abuse is not exclusive to physical violence; rather, abuse may take the form of emotional manipulation and degradation. Though Delia is a victim of both Sykes’s physical and emotional abuse, Hurston ultimately uses her character to demonstrate a sense of female power and righteousness. When Sykes is ironically killed as the result of his abusive nature, Hurston creates a space to explore the exertion of feminine power in the form of passive resistance. It may be argued that Delia’s character exemplifies the constraints on female autonomy in the institution of marriage and showcases the passive expression of resistance that must be used to exert power in such a confined position.

The short story begins with what could be interpreted as a playful joke between husband and wife. Delia is busy with laundry when Sykes sneaks up and plays a prank on her. He tosses a bull whip around Delia’s shoulders, and she mistakes the whip,...

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