The short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston was a little
hard to read because it is written in a country dialect.
Never the less I can understand the story. This story was different from the
others we have read. In this story Zora is the wife and she is the provider.
Her husband Sykes does not work. In an “old school” or “traditional” household
the husband would be the one working and the wife would stay home. She is in a
broken marriage, broken in the sense that it is an abusive one. It is unhealthy
but she doesn’t leave. I was bothered by the lack of respect Sykes had for his
wife in general and when she would work. Hurston writes “Sykes, what you throw
dat whip on me like dat? You know it would skeer me—look just like a snake, an’
you knows how skeered Ah is of snakes” Sykes would torment and scare her
knowing she had a big fear of snakes (423). He cheats on her with a woman name
Bertha, he treats Bertha better than his wife. The town’s people know and
talk about how once Delia was beautiful. Delia is very passive-aggressive about
it all. She goes to church and seeks strength to continue with her life and has
an epiphany that she has worked hard to pay for her home and that she wasn’t going
to put up with Sykes any longer. One night she tells Sykes she wants the rattlesnake
out of the house instead of running away from it (Hurston, 427). Sykes doesn’t take
her seriously. I think Sykes got the snake thinking it would some how frighten
her to death or maybe even bite her. I think he put the snake in the hamper hoping
she would be bitten and die. He would be free of her. Sykes plan backfires and he was the one bitten by the snake. Delia doesn't help him and I don’t blame
her. I think he got what he deserved.
Can you deduce the time period when the story is set? And can possibly that give us some further insight into the great observations you make about Delia, not Zora, being the breadwinner/provider, and Sykes' abuse? Why do you say Delia is passive aggressive? And, I'm interested in the epiphany Delia experiences. Can you provide the page number for when this takes place?
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry I mixed up the names. I’m guessing the time period is early 1900’s just because of the mode of transportation Delia and her husband use is a horse and open carriage. I’m sure Delia is the breadwinner and the provider because she says “What’s that got to do with you, Sykes? Mah tub of subs is filled yo’ belly with vittles more times than yo’ hands is filled it” (Hurston, 423). This line implies that he once was working and hasn’t been for a long time so Delia takes credit for food and paying for the house. There are many statements that show that Sykes is abusive one is “It cowed him and he did not strike her as he usually did” (Hurston, 423). Other is “So fur as beatin’ is concerned, yuh ain’t took near all dat you gointer take ef yuh stay ‘round me” (Hurston, 427.) It’s almost as if he is warning her that something is coming and she should leave before it happens. I think Delia is passive aggressive because she acts calm and tries not to start fights but she also stands up to Sykes about the snake as seen “She seized the iron skillet from the stove and stuck a defensive pose, which act surprised him greatly, coming from her” (Hurston, 423). I think everything is building up and she has had enough. She is ready to defend herself if it comes to that. I think Delia has an epiphany when she again asks Sykes to get rid of the snake at dinner and they argue and she takes him she moved to a new church. (Hurston, 427, 428). I think sometime during the church service is where she decides she not going to take it anymore.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to apologize about the name mix up. I was just making sure that the statment about the female characters as a wife was not intended as a biographical claim about the author. The quotes to support your points about Delia being the provider and Sykes being abusive are great. But what I meant by the question: And can possibly that give us some further insight into the great observations you make about Delia, not Zora, being the breadwinner/provider, and Sykes' abuse?, here that refers to the time period providing insight into why Delia is the breadwinner and Sykes seems to be unemployed and abusive. If you get the chance, look back to the story and consider the reference to a car made there. The way I understand someone being passive- aggressive is the person not actaully taking any overt action to express their issues concerns, and instead exacerbating the conflict in indirect manner(i.e. snide comments, silent treatment, etc.) is that what you meant? Also, I like your idea of epiphany, but what I'm interested when and how, specifically, Delia experiences this moment of clarity and realizes something about her life?
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