In the fiction story it states, “She saw him on his hands and knees as soon as she reached the door” (line 108). This statement shows a reflection of the Harlem Renaissance through supporting the ideas of destroying old stereotypes of African Americans along with giving confidence towards the future. In the story the main character is being set free by letting her abusive husband die. This is figurative language of allowing old stereotypes die off. The death of the husband allowed the main character to have a free and bright future which can be a translation on how Hurston will allow the old stereotypes to die off and not hold her back from her bright future, reflecting on the beliefs of the Harlem Renaissance.
The escalating frequency of school shootings throughout the years has become an alarming issue, raising the question as to why one would commit such a horrific act. On December 14th, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother and soon after drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he proceeded to kill twenty first grade students and six school employees. Lanza, a troubled individual with a history of various mental health issues, including schizophrenia and Aspergers Syndrome, was profoundly engrossed with violent video games, firearms, and the narratives of mass shootings. Examining Adam Lanza’s violence through the perspective of James Gilligan's Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic, it becomes apparent
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.
Name: Lakisha Minnis Instructor: Mr. Compton English 2202-001 Date: April. 24, 2017 Sweat Zora Neale Hurston is a prolific writer famed for numerous award winning plays, novels and short stories. In this paper, I will be elaborating on a character from the novel Sweat. Her novel Sweat was first published in 1926. Sweat is a novel that tells a story about the good, evil, and domestic abusive husband.
Although Delia never leaves her home like Sykes wants her to, she never really punishes him the way he does to her. The day Sykes came home with the snake, he was there before Delia, which was unusual. Delia knew something was going on but tried to ignore it. Sykes wouldn’t let her go through to the kitchen door and pushed her back when she attempted to pass by. Instead of fighting back Delia begs Sykes remove the snake from their home and Sykes says, “Ah aint gut tuh
When Delia return from the store, she realize that Sykes is sitting in the chair she was in before she left. She notice the look on Sykes face as if he’s upset or maybe drunk. She began to walk fast into the kitchen. Out of nowhere she hear items being broken or thrown across the room; while Sykes screams “Ah hate ya
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.
“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.
Sykes brings in a real snake and plans to poison Delia by planting a snake in her washing basket knowing that she has a fear of them. “There lay the snake in the basket! He moved sluggishly at first, but even as she turned round and round, jumped up and down in an insanity of fear, he began to stir vigorously” (Hurston 8). She got away and fall asleep in the barn. Not knowing the snake’s whereabouts Sykes walks in and gets bitten.
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.
Someone who will cherish them for all eternity. In a close examination of the way Louise Mallard, the protagonist of “The Story of an Hour”, and Delia, the protagonist of “Sweat”, react to their encounters with their marriages demonstrates that authors Kate Chopin and Zora Neale Hurston both use short stories to tell similar stories about the difficulties of their emotional states in their marriages. First, it is seen that Louise Mallard is an unchanging character who values her freedom from her marriage. Throughout the story it becomes obvious how self-centered Louise Mallard is.
In the short story, “Sweat”, by Zora Neale Hurtson, there are many themes and lessons in the story, but the one that sticks out the most is temporary pleasure may bring permanent consequences. She exemplifies this theme through the works of dialogue between the characters. My first example of the dialogue supporting the theme is in a conversation between the main character, Delia, and her abusive husband Sykes. In the conversation, Sykes says, “Course ah knowed it! That’s how come I done it…
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.
“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.
Before I began reading, I tried guessing what the story was about. Only knowing that the title was “Sweat”, I thought the story might be about sports or hard labor. Then I opened up the story and the first thing I noticed was that the author’s name was Zora Hurston. I only found out that the author was female once I saw “her” in the section below describing her life and writing career. I found out other important things such as she lived in Florida, she wrote during the Harlem Renaissance (1920s), she died impoverished, and her work was eventually found by the women’s movement.
