What is the plot of sweat by Zora Neale Hurston?
In "Sweat", Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of a broken marriage between a hard-working, moral woman, Delia Jones and her lazy, violent, and womanizing husband, Sykes Jones. The story takes place in a small town in Florida during the 1920s.
Where does sweat take place in real life?
Sweat takes place in a rural town in Florida in the 1920s. The fictional town is based on a real place called Eatonville, Florida, where author Zora Neale Hurston grew up. This real-life connection makes the descriptions in the story come to life.
What is the plot of the book Sweat?
Plot Summary of Sweat. Sweat tells the story of Delia Jones, a humble, timid woman trapped in a marriage with an abusive man who takes pride in mistreating her. The story opens up on a spring night in Florida, with Delia busy going about her job as a washwoman. We learn that her husband, Sykes, has run off with her horse and cart.
What is the setting of sweat by Ayn Rand?
-Graham S. While “Sweat” is closely focused on the troubled relationship between Delia and Sykes, it is also set in a poor, all-black town in segregated 1920s Florida. The theme of race and class, although it is not a central part of the story’s plot, inevitably comes into play in such a setting.
Why is the setting important in Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston?
They let them dribble over the edge of the porch" (30). Something about this description tells us Hurston was talking from personal experience. We love the setting not only because it's based on a real place, but also because it's a place unlike anywhere we've been to, fact or fiction.
Where does Sweat by Zora Hurston take place?
central Florida town'Sweat' is a short story by American writer Zora Neale Hurston, first published in literary magazine Fire!! in 1926. The story centres on Delia, a washerwoman in a small central Florida town.
What is the theme in 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 is the conflict in the story Sweat?
The most dominant conflicts in the play are Delia and Sykes marital issues. The first marital conflict presented to the audience is Sykess disapproval of Delia bringing her work into their home. Sykes becomes angry when he comes home and sees Delia sorting her employers laundry.
What time period does the story Sweat take place in?
1920sThe short story, "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston was published in 1926. The story takes place in a small town in Florida during the 1920s.
Who is the main character in Sweat?
Delia is the protagonist and main character of “Sweat.” A hardworking middle-aged black woman, she makes her living washing other people's clothes. Delia is married to the lazy and abusive Sykes.
How is the story Sweat structured overall?
“Sweat” is structured around the contrast between Delia and her husband Sykes, and nothing is more basic to that contrast than their attitudes towards work. Through these two characters, Hurston affirms the value of hard work as a foundation for both moral integrity and survival under difficult conditions.
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.
What does the snake represent in Sweat?
The snake itself is a symbol of Sykes and the venom he spits at Delia in the form of verbal, psychological and physical abuse. Keeping him around the house is just as dangerous as a venomous snake. In a surprise twist of fate, the snake ends up biting and killing Sykes and saves Delia from an awful marriage.
What is the exposition in Sweat?
Exposition: Sykes using the bull whip to scare Delia, and sets up the conflict between Delia and Sykes. Also Sykes is cheating on Delia.
How does Sweat relate to Adam and Eve?
In the Book of Genesis, the serpent tempts Eve to disobey God's will. In “Sweat,” Sykes' use of the rattlesnake to chase Delia out of her house—out of her Eden, which she built with her work and around which she painstakingly planted every tree—implies that he is in alliance with evil against the will of God.
Who said Sykes what you throw dat whip on me like dat?
It starts with Delia being scared with a bullwhip by Sykes. She reacts in fear, saying, "Sykes, what you throw dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me...” (Hurston). Delia and Sykes go back and forth about how scared Delia is scared of snakes, and how Sykes purposely wants to scare her.
What is the story of Sweat?
Sweat. “Sweat” tells the story of a woman in an unhappy and abusive marriage who is eventually freed through an ironic twist of fate. The story opens on a Sunday night with Delia Jones, a hardworking washerwoman, sorting the week’s laundry. Her husband, Sykes, returns home and plays a nasty trick on her with his horsewhip, which resembles a snake.
What happens when Sykes returns home in the night?
She lies awake, remembering the hopeful early days of her marriage and its swift turn to abuse. When Sykes returns home in the night to claim his place in bed, she no longer cares what he says or does.
How does Delia astonish Sykes?
Delia then astonishes Sykes by proclaiming that she hates him and telling him to get out of the house. They trade more insults, but Sykes leaves without carrying out any of his threats. The next day, Sunday, Delia goes to church in the next town over and stays for the evening service.
How long has Bertha been in town?
Time passes, and Bertha has now been in town for three months, with Sykes paying for her room in a boarding house. He promises to move her into his and Delia’s house as soon as he can get Delia out of it. Delia, meanwhile, has been through a great deal of hard work and embarrassment.
Where does sweat take place?
Sweat takes place in a rural town in Florida in the 1920s. The fictional town is based on a real place called Eatonville, Florida, where author Zora Neale Hurston grew up. This real-life connection makes the descriptions in the story come to life.
What is the plot of sweat?
Plot Summary of Sweat. Sweat tells the story of Delia Jones, a humble, timid woman trapped in a marriage with an abusive man who takes pride in mistreating her. The story opens up on a spring night in Florida, with Delia busy going about her job as a washwoman.
What elements did Hurston use in the story?
Throughout the story, Hurston used many literary elements, such as setting, character dialogue, and symbolism , such as the symbolism of the snake for how Sykes treats Delia, to help us understand the characters and major events. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Create your account.
Why is Hurston's sweat unique?
This is because Hurston wrote the characters' dialogue in colloquial English to reflect the dialect of rural, Southern black Americans in the 1920s.
Where does the story of Delia Jones take place?
The story takes place in a small Florida town during the 1920s and is about Delia Jones, a washwoman married to Sykes, an abusive man who takes pleasure in making her miserable by being unemployed and unfaithful, something the other men in town don't like all that much.
Who wrote sweat and Hurston?
First, some background: Sweat is a short story published in 1926 that focuses on the lives of a poor black couple in the 1920s. It was written by Zora Neale Hurston, an African American author of novels, stories, plays, and essays from the early 20th century. Much of Thurston's success would come posthumously, ...
Who is Sykes' mistress?
Just then, Sykes comes into the store with Bertha, his mistress. Delia happens to be passing by the store at the same time, and we learn that Sykes is happy that Delia has seen him with his mistress. Delia and Sykes continue on in their miserable marriage, arguing constantly.
Who is the author of Sweat?
Sweat Summary. " Sweat" is a short story by Zora Neale Hurston in which Delia refuses to be driven out of her home by her husband. Delia has been married to Sykes for fifteen years. When he asks Delia to move out so his mistress can move in, she refuses.
What happened to Sykes and Delia?
Delia's neighbors all condemn Syke s and sympathize with Delia, aware of the abuse she has been subjected to. 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.
How long did Sykes and Delia Jones live together?
The story covers several weeks in the lives of Delia Jones and her husband, Sykes, from a Sunday evening to a Monday morning, with a brief flashback to the course of their relationship during fifteen years of marriage. The action begins at a crucial moment that is to lead to Sykes’s death and Delia’s liberation.
Where is sweat set?
While “Sweat” is closely focused on the troubled relationship between Delia and Sykes, it is also set in a poor, all-black town in segregated 1920s Florida. The theme of race and class, although it is not a central part of the story’s plot, inevitably comes into play in such a setting.
What does Hurston say about Sykes?
In “Sweat,” Hurston clearly and directly condemns domestic abuse. Her condemnation functions in two ways. First, she depicts Delia and Sykes ’ marriage as being wrecked by Sykes’ emotional and physical abuse. Second, she uses the viewpoints of other men in the town to also criticize Sykes’ behavior. In this way, Hurston does not allow abuse to be portrayed as the inevitable product of a patriarchal society. Instead, she shows it, quite simply, to be…
What religion is used in sweat?
Christianity. Christian belief plays a major role in “Sweat,” both in the characters’ lives and words, and in the way that the story itself interacts with Biblical stories.
Who wrote the book Sweat?
Sweat: Study Guide | SparkNotes. 'Sweat' is a short story by American writer Zora Neale Hurston, first published in literary magazine Fire!! in 1926. The story centres on Delia, a washerwoman in a small central Florida town. Delia's husband, Sykes, does not have a job and is abusive.
How does Sykes kill Delia?
Sykes plots to kill Delia by hiding a rattlesnake in her washing basket. However, in a twist of fate, Sykes himself is bitten by the snake. As Sykes lies dying, Delia sits contemplatively under a chinaberry tree, ignoring Sykes' pleas for help, and waiting for him to die.
Who is Delia's husband?
Delia's husband, Sykes, does not have a job and is abusive. He resents the fact that Delia has to wash the clothes of white people. He terrifies Delia by playing on her fear of snakes, and he beats her frequently, something which started two months after they were married.
