Whereas both works by Zora Neale Hurston, Sweat and Their Eyes Were Watching God, teach us that unequal amounts of power can cause destruction, they are revealed in different ways. In Hurstons short story Sweat the differing amount of power is obeyed and shown within one relationship. While, in Hurston's book Their Eyes Were Watching God the unequal power is portrayed much more intricate through the entire society and refused.
In both works the subject of power is expressed and the major theme of unequal amounts of power that is determined by society’s flawed views of those different from themselves will lead relationships and communities to fail can be seen. For instance, in Hurstons story Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie was in multiple
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One example of power difference within a relationship is when Sykes gets home to see Delia doing the laundry, “Don't gimme no lip neither, else Ah’ll throw ‘em out and put mah fist up side yo’ head to boot” (1). This quote shows how women, like Delia, were expected to do all of the housework and were expected to obey their husbands. Even with Sykes being abusive, Delia never genuinley stood up for herself within the 15 years of being married to him because men had the power in relationships and this type of behavior was normalized. After Sykes stormed out and Delia layed awake in bed she remembered, “Two months after the wedding, he had given her the first brutal beating” (2). This is important insight into their relationship because it proves to the reader that Sykes has been abusive for 15 years and Delia is still with him. Both of these quotes show how power within relationships during the early twentieth century was disturbingly