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¶ … Zora Neale Hurston represent Delia and Sykes in the first part of the story?
Sykes is clearly a sadist of some sort. When Delia is frightened by the bullwhip, thinking it's a snake and triggering her phobia, Sykes laughs at her and does not care how much he frightens her. It sets up the fact that Sykes will attempt to kill Delia (and fail) by the end of the story.
What change can you see in Delia's behavior towards Sykes in the first part of the story? Discuss what this could tell you about Zora Neale Hurston's attitude towards gender.
Delia stands up to Sykes, seemingly for the first time, by telling him that it's her sweat that pays for everything. This is true. Because Delia is doing all the work while Sykes reaps all the benefits, and sneaks off to copulate with his mistress Bertha, it is clear that Hurston sees the gender imbalance here as being analogous to the larger African-American trauma of slavery -- Delia is forced to labor and support an abusive "owner" who happens to be her African-American husband and not a white slaveowner.
3. In the second part of the story village men on Joe Clarke's porch talk about Delia. What...
This implies a great level of strength on Delia's part.
4. Comment on what the following names in the story could signify: Joe Clarke, Jim Merchant, Joe Lindsay, Moss, Thomas Walter.
They sound like white men's names, Lindsay or Walter. They also sound like middle-management personnel: "Clarke" derives from "clerk" and "merchant" is obvious. "Moss" implies stationary idleness, what a rolling stone fails to gather. It implies that the position of men is like that of slaveowners or a managerial class -- women like Delia do the work, and men like this live off her efforts.
5. Why do you think Sykes dislikes skinny women like Delia? Why does he like fat women like Bertha? What could this tell you about his character?
Since the story is set in the early 20th century it is unlikely Sykes is a fan of Sir Mix-A-Lot or Nicki Minaj. Instead, the fatness of Bertha that Sykes fetishizes is likely to be a symbol for laziness and idleness…
references remind us that Christianity is important to African-Americans because of its messages about the meaning of suffering and slavery (and ultimate deliverance from slavery). A comparison to Jesus reminds us that there can be meaning and redemption even in suffering.
7. Comment on Delia's confrontation with her husband in the third part of the story. In what way (s) could this be important in the story?
By this point Delia is willing to admit "Ah hates you Sykes" (Hurston 7). She is coming to an awareness of how miserable her own situation is -- and it presumably lets Sykes know she might leave him.
8. Towards the end of the story, we see Delia "climbing up
They know he beats Delia enough to "kill three women" (352). He also has a reputation for cheating on his wife. He is such a despicable person that Old Man Anderson believes he should be killed. Delia seems to be in a losing situation. Her husband hates her and there seems to be nothing she can do. Her strength is overlooked to a certain extent. Through it all, she
Self-Realization and Identity in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston explores the idea of a young black woman's search for identity in her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston emphasizes the idea that women, specifically during the twentieth century when this novel was written, need to find their independence and identity without being under the control of men. According to Pondrom, Their Eyes Were
Justice Served Justice is served in Zora Neal Hurston's "Sweat." The writer shows the central character as a person who is subjected to a great deal of pain through her marriage with Sykes and thus makes his death seem less of a sad incident. This episode actually frees Delia and makes it possible for her to actually consider life without him -- a lifestyle that would involve her doing what
SWEAT: a Case for Self-Defense Literature plays many roles in our lives; it entertains us, frightens us, and thrills us, but if written well it also teaches us and gives us a greater understanding of ourselves and human nature as a whole. When an author puts pen to paper he should have a story to tell or information he feels he must impart to the world at large so that the
Sweat, by Zora Neal Hurston. Specifically, it will contain a biography of the writer and criticism of her work "Sweat," along with another story. HURSTON'S "SWEAT" AND ANOTHER STORY Hurston was born on January 7, 1891. She grew up in Eatonville, Florida, which was the first all-black town incorporated in the United States. "She received her early education at the Hungerford School, modeled after Tuskegee Institute, with its guiding principles of
Tale as Told by another Character: Sweat - Zora Neale Hurston Sweat The spring came along with its flare of sunny afternoons in Florida on that particulate Sunday afternoon. For a given number of women in the small village populated by the black persons would be thinking of what the family would have for supper. However, for Delia Jones, she was still in bed, thinking of her previous life when she was