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Summary Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston

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“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston was posted on January 21, 2013 by Biblioklept. The short story contained a plethora of different literature tools in order to grasp the audience's attention. The main topic that will be addressed in this essay is Hurston’s use of a adage. Moreover, adage’s are short statements that convey the general truth of certain situations. Specifically, the phrase “what goes around comes around” is an example of an adage and also a recurring theme of the storyline. This is due to the torment Stykes Jones inflicts upon his wife Delina; After either reading this paper or the short story, the reader will be aware of the type of man Mr. Jones is, good or bad. Attain a wide array of evidence from foreshadowed phrases said by characters …show more content…

Furthermore, after getting into an argument with her husband, Delina begins to talk to herself saying “‘Oh well, whatever goes over the Devil’s back, is got to come under his belly. Sometime or ruther, Sykes, like everybody else, is gointer reap his sowing.””(Par. 25, Line 1-3). Not only does this quote reinstates the phrase “what goes around comes around”, but that Sykes is filled with a evil or devilish distinction. Moreover, reap what you sow is a idiomatic expression that means everything someone does has repercussions; it will come back to you one way or another. In Stykes’s case, he will pay for all the dreadful things he has done to delina. Mrs. Jones associates Stykes with the devil because of his love of snakes, and tormenting his wife with them. Satan is actually called the “ancient serpent”; Stykes has not only terrified Delina with the thought of the creature, but he went out and caught a six foot long snake. The town residents actually ask Stykes questions and make statements pertaining to the animal and Stykes replies ““Naw, Walt, y’ll jes’ don’t understand dese diamon’ backs lak Ah do,” said Sykes in a superior tone of voice””. As shown above, he feels as though snakes are not evil, but precious “diamondbacks” that no one understands like he does. Overall, Stykes is in touch with the

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Also when Walter Thomas says, “It’s too bad, too, cause she wuz a right pretty li’l trick when he got huh” (68), I learned that Sykes really had done a number on her physically and emotionally. That went on for a awhile and I really got the point that nobody except Bertha liked Sykes. Whether it was intended or not, I thought Bertha being described as “a hunk uh liver wid hair on it” (70) was quite funny. Later on, when Sykes gets the rattle snake, it’s clear he has crossed the line and Delia is done putting up with him. Her normal meekness towards Sykes is gone and when she said “Ah hates you, Sykes” (72) then continued to tell him how extremely much she hates him, I knew with certainty she had enough and was going to do something.

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