Suffering Exoplored in \"Sweat\" Zora

¶ … Suffering Exoplored in "Sweat"

Zora Neale Hurston's short story, "Sweat," is a tale about suffering and karma. Hurston shows us a super-human amount of tolerance with Delia and she shows us human limitations. Delia is a hard-working woman and does what she feels she must do to survive in the world. She may be somewhat timid but she is strong and while it may seem that Sykes pulls a fast one on Delia, Delia wins in the end, without making a scene or turning into a hysterical woman. "Sweat" is about suffering but it is also about making others suffer for personal gain. Sykes is a reminder that karma does exist and can strike at any moment. We tend to forget about fate when we are having fun but hurting others in the process. "Sweat" is a cautionary tale about why we should not behave in such a way. Hurston reminds us that we are never as in control of our lives as we think and, just like Sykes, we can get stung.

Delia suffers at the hand of the man that is supposed to love her. Sykes is cheating on her with another woman, whom he caters to with Delia's money. Sykes takes Delia's money and pays Bertha's rent with it and even has the impudence to tell Bertha she can lives in Delia's house once he gets Delia out of it. This is the house they share but Delia bought and paid for with the washing money she earned. Sykes verbally abuses Delia by accusing her of hypocrisy for washing "white fools' clothes on the Sabbath" (350). Delia also suffers physically from Sykes' beatings. The two fight "all the time with no peaceful interludes" (353). Delia's situation embarrasses her to the point that she avoids contact with anyone in town. Her neighbors know Sykes beats her enough to "kill three women" (352). She has a problem with "habitual meekness" (350) and he does not. This appears to be a sad story about a woman unable to choose the right kind of man to treat her right. However, the opportunity that presents itself at the end of the story demonstrates that Delia is not the fool everyone thinks she is. In fact, her meekness is the very reason she will be able to escape from this mess unscathed. In the middle of his plan to do evil, he must face a different kind of evil that forces him to look at himself. The snake becomes a symbol of freedom for Delia as the unexpected takes place.