More handpicked essays just for you.
Analysis on sweat by zora neale hurston
Analysis on sweat by zora neale hurston
Analysis on sweat by zora neale hurston
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In final words figurative language helps give ideas on how Hurston is allowing the stereotypes to not define her which leads to a brighter
In “Sweat”, Hurston repeatedly points out that the husband, Sykes, does not own the home, does not contribute anything financially, and has abused Delia for most of their marriage. When Delia says,
When Syke begins disrespecting her by kicking her laundry with his dirty boots, she fights back , “seiz[ing] the iron skillet from the stove and [striking] a defensive pose, which act surprised him greatly, coming from her. It cowed him and he did not strike her as he usually did” (2). Her audacity defied the social standards of the time period: black women had no power over their husbands. Hurston challenges this social norm by creating a character that withstands gender roles and traditional power dynamics. By “[seizing] the iron skillet” and “[striking] a defensive pose” she proves to her abusive husband that she is not afraid of him or his threats.
Delia constantly reminds Sykes that for the past fifteen years, she is the one who has been in charge of food among other basic necessities. Sykes being the disrespectful man that he is, does not respect the fact that his wife works very hard to offer food. He does not appreciate that she does other people laundry so that he can be comfortable. Furthermore, he uses the money the Delia earns to make sure that his mistress Bertha is satisfied.
Drenched in Light by Zora Neal Hurston is a short story that recounts the life of Isis “Isie” Watts who is a gay young girl living in Florida with her strict Grandmother. Isis, who finds joy in sitting on the fence post waiving to passers-by and frolicking with the dogs seems to get into trouble at every twist and turn in the story by her Grandma Potts. Isis even finds herself getting in trouble doing the very things Grandma Potts told her to because she just can’t seem to sit still. “Isie, you get set on dat porch! Uh great big ‘leben
This theme shows the usage of self determination when looking at one’s fate, rather than a divine power. This short story outlines an abusive marriage between Delia, a dedicated washwoman, and Sykes, a lazy and aggressive husband. Hurston’s characters may be said to represent the conflict of good vs. evil, as Delia is shown as hardworking and kind, while conversely, Sykes is shown as malicious and abusive. These circumstances help set the stage for Hurston's comparison of their personalities as it connects to their marital roles. Feeling exasperated over her husband's unprovoked aggression, Delia expresses her feelings, saying: “Looka heah, Sykes, you done gone too fur….
“Sometimes he strikes without rattling at all” (Sweat 7). Often men in Zora Neale Hurtston’s stories use their power to abuse their women for what appears to be no reason at all. Hurston wrote two pieces of literature, one being “Sweat '' a short story that follows Delia, who’s marriage is overrun by her abusive husband, Sykes. It takes place in the 1920’s and draws attention to the unfair treatment and discrimination women face. Their Eyes Were Watching God takes place in the early 20th century and looks into the protagonist, Janie's life, and how she found herself through her struggles with love.
In Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “Sweat” and her essay “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” the African American social group is being represented in many ways. The texts have similar ways that African Americans are represented for the time period. The African Americans or “colored people” are represented in an aspect that comes from the author's point of view. The African Americans are represented as being unbothered, growing up in a closed community, playing the game with whites, and optimistic.
Louise and Delia What do most women want in a marriage? Is it hatred and an unfaithful husband? No! Women expect to have a husband who loves and cares for them.
The amount of torment one human can endure is amazing, and Delia Jones in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” isn’t exempt. She manages to hold together a home, work full-time, clothe and feed her extremely abusive husband. The question lingers; how can one continue to live in this kind of situation. It seems that for Delia, God plays a big part in her life, and Zora has appropriately left behind contextual references, symbols and representations in “Sweat”. Faith is a major theme utilized in the short story, while Sykes’ timely end rewards Delia for her priest-like patience.
During an argument at dinner, Sykes implies that he does not spend her hard-earned money. Delia furiously “seized the iron skillet from the stove and struck a defensive pose… It cowed [Sykes] and he did not strike her as he usually did” (2). Hurston’s juxtaposition of the words “ usually” and “struck” shows the normality of Sykes anger-infused harm towards Delia, and the abnormality of her standing up to Sykes, since she is a woman. This exemplifies Delia’s perseverance in her actions against her husband because she is no longer afraid of his physical abuse and she begins to threaten him.
“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurtson exemplifies the amount of disrespect and domestic abuse a woman can handle. It also demonstrated how some males view women in a distasteful and unsatisfied way. Gender and sexuality can initiate most of the specific tactics of domestic violence that can dehumanize an individual, especially women. Zora Neale Hurtson’s character, Delia Jones, demonstrates how women can transition from being inferior to becoming superior in a domestic relationship. The story opened with Delia washing clothes for white people on Sunday, and Sykes verbally abused her for dishonoring God because she was washing clothes that belong to white people on the Sabbath day.
I could tell that the story was going to be about some major conflict between Sykes and Delia. Tension increased when Hurston wrote that Delia “seized the iron skillet from the stove and struck a defensive pose” (67). Sykes was clearly a very bad husband and when I read, “Two months after the wedding, he had given her the first brutal beating” (67), I wondered why Delia had stayed with him for fifteen
Different Ideologies Led to the Cold War The start of the Cold War can easily be traced back to the dominant ideologies of communism and democracy. The aftermath of World War II led to the scramble of domination for beliefs. Many European countries were left vulnerable to any kind of power after World War II. Communism and democratic beliefs began to spread fast.
During this rough time period, segregation was common and prohibition was recently introduced. Along with this, many other social and political issues played a role in Hurston's "Sweat." Consequently, a historical background of the early twentieth century would be ideal in order for the reader to better comprehend and appreciate the work thoroughly. In this story, Hurston writes about Delia and Syke's work lives. In the early 1900's, approximately sixty percent of African American woman and about twenty percent of men were employed (Mclaughlin).During this time period, men felt that they were vastly superior over women.
