Throughout the history of mankind, there has always been a battle between good and evil in one form or another. Whether it be light and dark, God and Devil, virtue and vice, peace and war, love love hate, the two sides are always be at odds. Zora Neale Hurston was no stranger to this age-old conflict. Growing up as a black woman in the south in the early 1900’s, and the daughter of a preacher, she was familiar with both the hate and wickedness or unfailing righteousness that a person could possess (Boyd). In her short story, “Sweat,” Zora Neale Hurston explores the theme of good versus evil, the relationship the two forces share, and the inevitable defeat of wickedness through her main characters, point of view, and symbolism.
In “Sweat,”
…show more content…
Clarke says that the way some men, particularly Sykes, treat women is the same way they take a piece of sugarcane in their mouth. “It’s juicy an sweet when dey gits it. But dey squeeze an’ grind, squeeze an’ grind an’ wring… every drop uh pleasure dat’s in ‘em out.” When the man has emptied the sugar-cane, they throw it away (Hurston 566). This is evident in Sykes abusive relationship with Delia. A mere “two months after the wedding, he had given her the first brutal beating” (Hurston 565), and continues to beat her for the next fifteen. This changes Delia from the “young and soft” woman she was to a tough and resilient woman who has to fend for herself (Hurston 565). Even while enduring Sykes’s outbursts, Delia, like the noble, virtuous woman she is, “brought love to the union,” but not even love “kin make a man be decent if it ain’t in ‘im” (Hurston 565-566). Hence, Sykes’s wickedness slowly corrupts the love of Delia until she hates him to the same degree she used to love him (Hurston 569). However, as the story commences, goodness regains the upper hand as Delia manifests bravery in standing up for herself, working harder and increasing her religious faith. As she gains more power in virtue, she begins to suppress Sykes’s evilness as he becomes more cowardly, and the townspeople turn away from him. Eventually, Sykes is completely defeated (Hurston 563- 571). This defeat introduces another part of Hurston’s theme: the wicked will get their