What weapon does Delia use to threaten Sykes?
Mace
Why does Delia stay with Sykes?
Hover for more information. Delia probably stays with Sykes after he has been so abusive to her because within that time period women did not typically divorce their husbands. She also has a personality that suggests that she upholds commitments and will bear through difficult times.
Why does Sykes call Delia a hypocrite?
Hover for more information. Delia’s husband, Sykes, considers her to be a hypocrite because she is working on Sunday. Sykes reveals his attitude about Delia’s “hypocrisy” in the story’s exposition . After she reorganizes the clothes that he has disturbed, Delia goes back to washing them.
How does the author’s characterization of Bertha?
A. The author describes Bertha through the gossip of other villagers, who shield Delia from information that they know would hurt her. By describing only Bertha’s negative characteristics, the author hints at Delia’s confidence in her own desirability as a wife.
What animal is Delia deathly afraid of?
Snakes. The snake, long a symbol of evil and malevolence, is used throughout the story. Delia is deathly afraid of snakes, a fact that Sykes uses to his advantage.
Why is the story called sweat?
The story’s title “Sweat” refers to all the physical labor that Delia performs, which contrasts with Sykes’ life of leisure and entitlement.
Why doesn’t being the granddaughter of slaves Register depression in Zora?
In paragraph 7, Zora writes “Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me.” Why does she fail to register depression? Zora chooses to focus on the progress made for African Americans, and not submit to the past in slavery.
What is the theme of the story sweat?
“Sweat” tells the story of a domestically abused, religiously devout laundress and her adulterous, deadbeat husband. The dominant theme is good versus evil, but the story also incorporates the themes of hard work versus laziness and fate.
What do you think causes Sykes to behave the way he does?
Perhaps his father acted the same way, and Sykes just thought that this was the normal way for a man to behave. Abusive men like Sykes often have backgrounds like this, when abuse—be it physical, mental, or sexual—was very much the norm. Or perhaps Sykes had negative experiences of women when he was growing up.
What does the snake in sweat symbolize?
Hurston presents the snake in “Sweat” as a representation of evil. Because the snake represents evil in this story, it is closely linked with Sykes, who is an abusive man. The bullwhip Sykes tosses onto Delia resembles a snake. Later he brings a rattlesnake to his house to terrorize his wife.
What does the title sweat mean?
What does the title “Sweat” mean? Sweat symbolizes all the suffering that Delia has endured over the years, but it is also the means by which Delia has been able to make a life and a home for herself. Delia tells Sykes that her “sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it” (1023).
How do Delia and Sykes feelings differ about snakes?
Like the snakes, Sykes spews venom at Delia but more so in the form of physical and psychological domestic abuse. Delia’s frightened nature dealing with the snakes really showed her true feelings towards Sykes because the snakes ultimately represent what he brings to their partnership.
How does Sykes react when he realizes Delia seen him out with Bertha?
How does Syke’s react when he spots Delia knowing shes seen him and Bertha together in public? Sykes is happy and hopeful that Delia saw him and Bertha together.
What is the irony that takes place in the story sweat?
The main irony in the story is that all of Sykes’ schemes against Delia result in unexpected, negative consequences for him. Sykes brings the snake into the house because he knows that Delia is mortally afraid of reptiles. To Sykes, the snake is a weapon.
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work?
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work? He teases her about her work but secretly appreciates it. He believes she should wash black folks’ clothes as well.
What is Hurston’s purpose for writing How It Feels to Be Colored Me?
Hurston’s purpose in writing “How it Feels to be Colored like Me” is to assert her pride in being black. She pushes back against the idea, articulated by many of her black friends during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, that segregation and racial discrimination harmed the black soul and needed to be addressed.
Where does sweat take place?
Florida
Is sweat a feminist text?
Feminist literature is greatly represented in the two stories, Sweat, by Zora Neale Hurston and Strong Horse Tea by Alice Walker.
How does Sykes exert control over Delia?
Sykes pushes further by getting a snake and attempting to scare Delia into submission, her fear controlling her rather than Sykes. As Delia begins to understand that Sykes will not protect her from the snake, she has no choice but to face her fears head on.
Who is Bertha in sweat?
Bertha is Sykes’ mistress from another town. She comes to live in a boarding house that he pays for. Most of the men of the town dislike Bertha and consider her ugly, but Sykes prefers her over Delia. Joe owns the village store and has the respect of the neighbors who spend time on his porch.
What part of Sykes is swollen after the snake bites him?
His neck is swollen and only one of his eyes is open. Delia is filled with unbearable pity and turns away from “that eye that must, could not, fail to see the tubs” (1030). She observes that Orlando and medical attention are too far. She goes to wait by the Chinaberry tree in the day’s increasing heat for Sykes to die.
How does it feel to be colored me first paragraph?
The first line of Hurston’s essay reads: I am colored but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating circumstances except the fact that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother’s side was not an Indian chief.
What happens to Sykes and Delia by the end of sweat?
Sykes bring a snake into the house, hoping to scare Delia out. She finds it in the laundry basket and runs away in fright. That night, Sykes gets bitten by the snake. He dies, and Delia is free.
Is Delia right to let Sykes die at the end of the story?
The impetus for Delia’s decision is really a compilation of years of abuse from Sykes. His cheating, his disregard for her feelings, his misuse of her hard-earned money, and his condescension toward her all contribute to Delia’s allowing Sykes to die.
What is Delia’s worst phobia?
Delia’s has a fear of snakes and Sykes intends to get her to move out of the house using this phobia. If she does not move, Sykes will use the snake to get rid of her.
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work quizlet?
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work? He disapproves of her work and treats her with malice. Why has Delia worked as a wash-woman for the last fifteen years? She supports both herself and her husband financially.
What does Hurston think of herself in comparison to Joyce?
Hurston refers to Peggy Hopkins Joyce, an American actress known for her lavish lifestyle and scandalous affairs. In comparison to Joyce, Hurston calls herself: A respectable woman. The most invisible woman in the world.
Are there any redeeming qualities about Sykes?
Sykes has no recognizable redeeming qualities. He is neither hardworking nor faithful, and be both physically and emotionally abuses his wife.
What does Sykes steal that directly leads to his own death?
Sykes is so determined to hurt Delia and take the house that he resorts to unsafe extremes—like bringing a rattlesnake into the house to scare her off—which eventually lead to his own death.