How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work?
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work? He teases her about her work but secretly appreciates it. He believes she should wash black folks’ clothes as well.
What is the significance of Delia being a Washwoman?
In her short story “Sweat,” Zora Neale Hurston decided to make Delia a washerwoman to illustrate just how miserable and harsh her life is and has been. Her job is a metaphor for the abuse that she receives from her ruthless and unfaithful husband, Sykes.26
Do you think Delia is a weak or strong character Why or why not?
She is a weak character because she is intimidated and fearful. Humans always mature when they run into bumps in the road. Delia hit bumps of her own and directly had an effect in the creation of a morally strong woman. Delia begins the story absolutely terrified of her husband after his affair and other problems.24
What does the snake in sweat symbolize?
Hurston presents the snake in “Sweat” as a representation of evil. Because the snake represents evil in this story, it is closely linked with Sykes, who is an abusive man. The bullwhip Sykes tosses onto Delia resembles a snake. Later he brings a rattlesnake to his house to terrorize his wife.
What is the point of view in sweat?
“Sweat” is told from the point of view of a third-person omniscient narrator.
What is omniscient point of view?
The third person omniscient point of view is the most open and flexible POV available to writers. As the name implies, an omniscient narrator is all-seeing and all-knowing. While the narration outside of any one character, the narrator may occasionally access the consciousness of a few or many different characters.8
What does the phrase she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye reveal about Sykes at the end of the story?
When she stated the phrase “she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye” he was revealing that Sykes was dying. He did this by using a cold river to symbolize Death and which would extinguish the eye which was a metaphor for his life.29
What is the conflict in sweat?
The conflict in “Sweat” is between Delia and her abusive, adulterous husband, Sykes. The conflict starts when Delia decides to stand up for herself for the first time. The action begins when Sykes lays a bullwhip across Delia’s shoulders to scare her.
What are some examples of external conflict?
External Conflict Examples
- Man vs. Man-the character is in conflict with another person in the story.
- Man vs. Society-the character faces conflict due to some type of societal norm that is in conflict with his/her beliefs or actions.
- Man vs. Nature-the character faces trials due to natural forces.
What is the climax of the story sweat?
What is the climax in the story? Delia decides not to save Sykes after being bitten by the snake. The person who knows how to handle a snake is killed by one.
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work quizlet?
How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work? He disapproves of her work and treats her with malice. Why has Delia worked as a wash-woman for the last fifteen years? She supports both herself and her husband financially.
Why does Sykes call Delia a hypocrite at the beginning of the story?
Hover for more information. Delia’s husband, Sykes, considers her to be a hypocrite because she is working on Sunday. Sykes reveals his attitude about Delia’s “hypocrisy” in the story’s exposition . After she reorganizes the clothes that he has disturbed, Delia goes back to washing them.
How does Sykes exert control over Delia?
Sykes pushes further by getting a snake and attempting to scare Delia into submission, her fear controlling her rather than Sykes. As Delia begins to understand that Sykes will not protect her from the snake, she has no choice but to face her fears head on.26
How does Sykes die at the end of the story?
Sykes bring a snake into the house, hoping to scare Delia out. She finds it in the laundry basket and runs away in fright. That night, Sykes gets bitten by the snake. He dies, and Delia is free.6
Is Delia right to let Sykes die at the end of the story?
As Zora Neale Hurston’s story draws to a close, Delia Jones becomes a widow. Her husband, Sykes, dies from a snakebite.
What does Sykes steal that directly leads to his own death?
Sykes is so determined to hurt Delia and take the house that he resorts to unsafe extremes—like bringing a rattlesnake into the house to scare her off—which eventually lead to his own death.
What does Delia do for a living?
The central character, Delia Jones is a hardworking but timid woman living in Florida. She provides for herself and her husband Sykes by working as a washwoman for white people.5
What animal is Delia deathly afraid of?
Snakes
What does old man Anderson think they should do with Sykes?
Old Man Anderson contributes that they should take Sykes and Bertha to Lake Howell swamp and whip them. He says that Sykes has always been overbearing, but has become even more so since a white woman from the North taught him how to “run a automobile” (1025). In fact, Anderson says, they should just kill him.5
What can we infer based on Sykes actions when he returns to the house?
The faux snake scares and temporarily mutes her, which Sykes finds hilarious; through his cruel prank and insensitive reaction to his wife’s terror, we can infer that he is a mean-spirited, unloving husband.26
How does the author’s characterization of Bertha?
By describing only Bertha’s negative characteristics, the author hints at Delia’s confidence in her own desirability as a wife. Therefore, she was confident in her own desirability as a wife.27
What emotional state does Delia experience after discovering the snake?
After Delia discovers the snake in her laundry basket, she experiences “A period of introspection, a space of retrospection, then a mixture of both.
How does Delia change in sweat?
How and why does Delia Jones change throughout the story Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston? The primary change that Delia Jones undergoes is from wife to widow. This change of status results from her decision to allow her husband to die from a snakebite rather than try to save him.
What is the irony that takes place in the story sweat?
The main irony in the story is that all of Sykes’ schemes against Delia result in unexpected, negative consequences for him. Sykes brings the snake into the house because he knows that Delia is mortally afraid of reptiles. To Sykes, the snake is a weapon.
What happens at the end of sweat by Zora Neale Hurston?
Sykes buys a snake to torture Delia and make her afraid to be in their home, a home that her many long years of work has paid for. In a twist of fate, the snake ends up killing Sykes and freeing Delia from a poisonous marriage, something she realizes as she watches him die.19
What is the character of Delia most of afraid of in Zora Neale Hurston’s sweat?
She has a deep fear of snakes that Sykes exploits to torment her. Delia attends church regularly and turns to Christianity for comfort through her abusive relationship.