Gender Roles In Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat

Zora Neale Hurston was an Ecofeminist American Author, who created many pieces that only seemed to gain popularity after her passing. With Sweat, However, this became her most famous story, even in life. This story focuses on a young woman named Delia and a search for freedom from life in an abusive relationship. There is much more to this story than female empowerment; however, through religion, objectification, and sexism, Sweat depicts the ethical problem of gender roles. Religion is at the basis of many individuals’ and even institutions’ core beliefs and morals. This is no different in this short story either. However, at some point it becomes weaponized against a victim and could leave them feeling useless and ultimately questioning

The idea of sexism is more present in this story than any one situation. From the laundry belonging to Delia, to the control belonging to Sykes, and even the normalization of domestic abuse. Sykes treats Delia the way that he does because he is sexist, according to one village man “[Sykes] done beat huh ‘nough tuh kill three women, let ‘lone change they looks” (381). The audience can only assume that Sykes’ beats her because of his belief that men are above women. Not only do the village men discuss his abuse against Delia without batting an eye, they are complicit in Sykes’ actions by not telling him off. Because of the village men’s sexism and their lack to stand up to another man, Delia has to suffer physically and emotionally. But at the same time, because of Sykes’ sexist beliefs, Delia’s dignity has to suffer and be at stake. She has been biting her tongue for a long time. She allows Sykes’ to beat her for fifteen years, never standing up to him. Because of not only Sykes’ sexism but in this case Delia’s internalized sexism, she has to let go of her dignity. However, the most powerful depiction of Sykes’ sexism is the decision he makes to attempt to kill Delia with a rattlesnake, “As she was stooping to pass under his outstretched arm, he suddenly pushed her backward, laughingly … she nearly fell upon the box in her stumbling” (383). Sykes knows how afraid of

Sykes and the village men refer to/discuss women based on their physical appearance rather than their personality or character. Sykes’ constantly mentioned how skinny Delia is, saying: “how ah hates skinny wimmen” (380). This is not the last time however that Sykes’ reduces Delia down to her physical aspects. After bringing the snake to Delia he jokes that the snake would not bite her because “he wouldn’t risk breakin’ out his fangs ‘gin [Delia’s] skinny laigs” (383). Once again depicting that Sykes’ can only see her features and how unattractive they are to him. He makes it a point to mention it to her every chance he gets, emotionally abusing her. But through objectification, emotional abuse is not the only abuse Delia has to face. This is where the economic origin of objectification comes into play. While gender roles are at the root of conflict in this story, Sykes’ objectification of Delia goes so far to even force her to be the breadwinner. This is not common in a typical household between man and wife. Furthering Sykes’ emotional abuse, further toying with that idea of dismantling Delia’s religious beliefs. He expects her to listen to him as man of the household, yet forces her to be financially/economically responsible for him as “[Delia’s] tub of suds [has] filled [Sykes’] belly with vittles more times than [Sykes’] hands [have] filled it. [Delia’s] sweat [has] done paid for this house and [Delia]