Sweat

Summary

Zora Hurston's "Sweat" is a story about a woman named Delia Jones living in Florida with her husband Sykes. She is a washer woman while her husband does nothing. Her husband is worthless. He beats her; he cheats on her in plain view; he claims to own everything, when in fact Delia owns it all; he generally oppresses Delia. As the story progresses, Sykes tries to get rid of Delia by putting a rattle snake at their kitchen door. When just having the snake at the kitchen door does nothing, Sykes puts the snake in her washing basket. Delia discovers the snake and runs from the house to the barn where she stays. Sykes comes home when it is dark and there are no matches left to light the lamp so he can not see the snake. He is eventually bit by the snake and Delia, who has herd everything, leaves him to die.

Interpretation

Some themes that I noticed were the treatment of Delia by Sykes, the treatment of Sykes' fling, and Sykes ownership of the property. A theme that I would identify would be feminist theme. There were also biblical thematic devises throughout the story such as Gethsemane and Calvary along with the snake at the end. Other thematic devises are the time of year that the story occurs, Spring, and the weather at the time. The story takes place among a black community which is another theme in itself. I would like to equate the story to the oppression of the female sex. The end biblical reference with the snake leads me to the reversal of Adam and Eve's banishment from the garden. The snake, instead of making the woman the evil one reverses the role, making the man the sinner. Sykes is the one that brings the snake and he is also the one that is eventually bitten by the snake. Delia's oppression leads me to categorize the story as a feminist story also. She is beaten down by Sykes and is the sole provider for the two of them. She is constantly mocked by him with his adultery and claims of owning everything that Delia owns as well as the whole town. The portrayal of women in the story is bleak for the most part. The only woman that is treated well is Sykes' second woman. I believe that she is a representation of how a men treated their wives and mistresses in the past. The story was, to me, a representation of woman suffrage.