How does the antagonist in Sweat criticize the women equality movement of the 1920s? The United States’ culture and political views changed dramatically in 1920s. This era was often called the “Roaring Twenties” because the enthusiastic and easy-going pop culture. Zora Neale Hurston was a popular African-American author during this and the Harlem Renaissance era. Her short story, Sweat, was first published in 1926, to demonstrate the realistic conflict between a self-employed washwoman wife and an unemployed husband. Sweat uses the antagonist, Sykes Jones, to degrade and manipulate his independent wife until she reached her breaking point. As the time changed, so did the American woman. Stephen Sharot, author of “The ‘New Woman’, Star Personas, …show more content…
In the beginning of their relationship, Delia was characterized as being “young” and “soft”. After fifteen years of being abuse, she finally began standing up for herself. In the turning point of the story, Delia told Sykes “…Ah been married to you fur fifteen years, and Ah been takin’ in washin’ for fifteen years. Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!” (Hurston 2). In this quote, Delia is at her boiling point and is having a mental meltdown and she is also fed up with Sykes promiscuous ways. This quote proves that the process of Delia defending herself is improving and that she is not the “young” and “soft” woman she was fifteen years …show more content…
The night after the “turn point” argument, when Sykes returned he threatened that “Ah oughter mash you in yo’ mouf fuh drawing dat skillet on me.” (Hurston, 3). There were plenty of physical altercations during their relationship and the length of the story. The story starts off with Sykes emotionally abusing Delia. He calls her a hypocrite because she is working on the Sabbath day. The mental abuse happens when Sykes brings home the rattlesnake. Sykes knows that has huge case of ophidiophobia, fear of snakes. Knowing her fear, Sykes traumatized Delia with the snake, abusing her mental state. All of the abuse caused by Sykes leads to Delia being very