Similarities Between Sweat And Their Eyes Were Watching God

The torment of repetitive abuse and degrading mockery of appearance and behavior continuously adhered on during an entire marriage. Needlessly conceding into a complacent role bearing undeserved hatred. Both protagonists in “Sweat” and Their Eyes Were Watching God undergo this unwarranted treatment. Throughout both they are suppressed and put down, Delia upholding all work inside the household and enduring constant disrespect, and Janie continuously mocked, controlled, and paraded as a trophy-wife. While the works, Their Eyes Were Watching God and “Sweat,”by Zora Neal Hurston, teach the theme that for fulfillment of one’s self peace, realization and confrontation of one’s burdened anguish is required. Their Eyes Were Watching God highlights

The townspeople in “Sweat'' acknowledge the unstable dynamic of Delia and Sykes talking of how Sykes “ ‘done beat [Delia] nough tuh kill three women’ '', and how he outrightly disrespects Delia, focusing on other women; “ ‘him come slidin’ roun’ mah wife–... She tol’ him tuh take ‘em right straight back home, cause Delia works so hard’ ”( “Sweat” 3). Their perception of the matter brings to light the one-sided love and work imbalance between Sykes and Delia. The imbalance overweighs onto Delia, carrying much of the emotional and physical work in the relationship. This parallels Their Eyes Were Watching God' in how the townspeople of Eatonville talk of the suppressing behavior Jody exhibits towards Janie, forcing her to wear a head rag and covering an essential feature that contributes to her self expression. Then, as well as Jody's constant demand for perfection, when he “gits on [Janie] ever now and then when she make a little mistakes round de store”, the townspeople present the inequality of power dynamics in Janie’s relationship (Eyes 49). Janie is depicted as a weak and obedient follower rather than her own person with thoughts. Through their inputs, Hurston entails the heavy baggage the protagonist shoulders from their treatment received in the relationship. By including others'

Throughout Janie’s life, her relationships with other people have forced her downwards into a submissive, acquiescent role; “Janie loved the conversation and sometimes she thought up good stories on the mule, but Joe had forbidden her to talk” (53). She is unable to clearly define her own wants to others, resulting in her repeatedly being perceived as complacent in unpleasant relationships and circumstances. Ordinarily as the book continues she slowly progresses towards full realization by expressing her feelings in which she felt “ She was a rut in the road” and “she mostly lived between her hat and her heels, with her emotional disturbances like shade patterns” (76). Furthermore, her expressing that she felt like “She was a rut in the road” expands on her loneliness and barring emptiness, where she begins to notice the dread that is weighing over her. As the story advances, Janie begins to concede to acknowledging and contributing her distress to others, until finally she up fronts and acknowledges how she feels, confessing her true feelings towards those who suppressed her; “You done lived wid me for twenty years, and you don’t know me atall… Ah ain’t goin’ outa here and Ah ain’t gointuh hush”(86). Consequently from his abuse, Janie addresses the mistreatment