Summary Of Sweat By Zora Neale Houston

Sweat by Zora Neal Houston, is always such a peculiar passage to read. With it’s strange array of word pronunciations, the passage almost makes you feel as if you are somewhere deep into the early 20th century South. When reading the text, one may seem as if they are reading Old English and to some degree, it feels as if your translating the text to better understand the passage. Furthermore, this passage is full of symbolic meaning. This twisted fiction story will always grasp your attention with its content. The passage begins with Delia Jones, a hard-working black wife, diligently washing other people clothes to provide for her household, while having to deal with a quarrelsome husband that is unloving, abusive, and unwilling to support their relationship. The passage is a seemingly endless struggle of Jones dealing with her husband in hopes to establish her respect and find peace.

The snake being Sykes and the snake over her shoulder being his abusive and arrogant behavior that seems to endlessly clouds her. Her fright of snakes is symbolizing her fright of Sykes. This is just one of few symbols that can be derived from this passage. The second symbolization in the passage was when Skye brought a rattlesnake home to scare Jones. She repeated cried for to get rid of the serpent but he refused. Not much soon after, Sykes was stricken in the dark by the rattler. Fed up Jones, showed no signs of remorse for his doomed soul as he called to her. As stated in the passage, “She lay there. “Delia. Delia!” She could hear Sykes calling in the most despairing tone as one who expected no answer… She never moved, he called, and the sun kept rising.”. He soon died at Jones feet in despair. This scene was a perfect example of how what goes around comes around, and you reap what you sow. His arrogant actions took a turn for the worst, and struck the “serpent” in the