ipl-logo

Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston Summary

801 Words4 Pages

Anna Funderburk Ms. Thompson 1st Block AP English October 27, 2014 Short Story Analysis of Sweat Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston is clearly a feminist tale. Opening with Delia working hard washing clothes to provide for herself and her freeloading husband, Hurston tells the story of a strong, black woman trapped within the confines of traditional household roles and a corrupt marriage. Delia is finally set free after her husband, Sykes, is dealt a dose of his own medicine and is bitten by a rattlesnake he let loose in their house in hopes to be rid of Delia. Not only does Zora Neale Hurston make evident the oppression African American women faced both within the household and out of it, but she also combats it with Delia, a woman who “sweated” …show more content…

“Something long, round, limp, and black fell upon her shoulders and slithered to the floor…she saw that it was the big bull whip her husband liked to carry” (Hurston) utilizes clear phallic imagery as a way to emphasize Sykes attempts to assert his manhood. “[Delia] seized the iron skillet from the stove and struck a defensive pose” (Hurston); a skillet is symbolic of female domesticity, and having Delia use it in her defense against Sykes furthers the theme of feminism evident in Sweat. Lillie Howard suggests that Delia’s “work makes him feel like less of a man” (67). While Sykes may be a physical threat to Delia, he has no actual power over her. She does all of the work and makes all of the money; therefore, she is in charge of their domestic sphere. As Sharon Jones writes, “Huston suggests that masculinity and male power are artificial forms of authority, or are at least highly constrained” (Bloom’s …show more content…

She intended for this work to be a symbol of feminist opposition, and in doing that, she brings to life the age-old proverb that what goes around comes around; those that oppress women will surely suffer for it just as Sykes did. The portrayal of Delia as a strong and courageous black woman in Sweat was a beacon of hope for African American women writers, and inspired them to depict non-stereotypical black women characters. Lorraine Bethel points out that throughout her works Hurston disrupted stereotypes of African American women portrayed by white males. Even after her death, Zora Neale Hurston continues to rock the

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Figurative Language In Sweat By Zora Neale Hurson

    817 Words  | 4 Pages

    This departure is shown through the lines, “Delia never looked up from her worn, and her thin, stooped shoulders sagged further,” (line 11). This is seen as a departure because it goes against the belief of the confidence and optimism that is shown through the Harlem Renaissance. In the sentence you can clearly see how Hurston describes the main character as being defeated and not having confidence within herself to stand up to her mistreatment. The direct language reflects on the idea that there is no optimism nor hopefulness for new opportunities and better conditions for the main character Delia. To conclude, this statement in the fictional story shows the departure that Hurston takes from the beliefs of the Harlem Renaissance through the direct language having the main character feel hopeless turning away from the beliefs of the Harlem

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Zora Hurston's How It Feels To Be Colored Me

    270 Words  | 2 Pages

    Zora Hurston uses vivid imagery, natural diction, and several literary tools in her essay “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”. Hurston’s use of imagery, diction, and literary tools in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” contributes to, and also compliments, the essay’s theme which is her view on life as a “colored” person. Throughout “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” Hurston carefully incorporates aspects of her African American culture in an effort to recapture her ancestral past. Hurston’s use of imagery, diction, and use of literary tools shape her essay into a piece of Harlem Renaissance work. Imagery in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” is quite abundant.

    Read More

  • Zora Neale Hurston The Sweat

    1123 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance was an era when African- Americans brought their talents to Harlem at the end of World War I (Wormser). Out of that era, it brought authors, poets, and scholars (Wormser). Zora Neil Hurston came out of this era and became a well-known author. The Sweat is one of her well-known stories that demonstrated literary realism to show their everyday life and how they would talk unlike romanticism that used nature and “imagination” (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). The Sweat can be considered as a literary cannon which means a book that has been approved by culture ("A Literary Canon?") and that’s what Zora did.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Faith In Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat

    96 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Zora Neale Hurston Obstacles

    1992 Words  | 8 Pages

    Hurston and Janie both endured oppression during their lives based upon their race and gender however, their strong wills propelled them threw unforeseen obstacle. Zora Neale Hurston was a phenomenal African American woman whom despite her rough childhood would become one of the most profound authors of the century. Throughout her lifetime she was the, “Recipient of two Guggenheims and the author of four novels, a dozen short stories, two musicals, two books on black mythology, dozens of essays, and a prizewinning autobiography” (Gates 4). Hurston had to overcome numerous obstacles because of her gender, economic status, and racial identity. Hurston was born in 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama but grew up in Eatonville, Florida.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston

    1187 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Allusions In Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston

    427 Words  | 2 Pages

    Biblical Allusions in Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” One prominent theme throughout the short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston is that resiliency can carry us through dark times. Hurtson shows readers this idea through biblical allusions, specifically the Jordan River and Jesus’ death. Hurston pays homage to Jesus, an important figure in the Bible. Delia’s husband Sykes often boasts about his mistress to the other villagers in their community. In the months when Sykes flaunted his infidelities around town “Delia’s work-worn knees crawled over the earth in Gethsemane and up the rocks of Calvary many, many times…” (4).

    Read More

  • Commentary On The Mule By Zora Neale

    524 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Maria Tai Wolff says “for telling to be successful, it must become a presentation of sights with words. The best talkers are “big picture talkers”. For Hurston, the construction of African American identity requires a voice that can make you see, a voice that celebrates the visible presence of black bodies.

    Read More

  • Dust Tracks On A Road Analysis

    484 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hurston’s autobiography, Dust Tracks on a Road marks the popularity of her career as a writer in the Harlem Renaissance. It is an autobiography intertwined with reality, mystery, imagination, creation, humor and wisdom, celebrating Hurston’s struggle from an isolated southern child to a recognized black female writer. It is an autobiography contains a controversial work evoking both recognition and discrete criticism. Starting with the history of Eatonville, the founding of the pure Negro town, Hurston in Dust Tracks locates herself as a carefree black girl in a harmless place immune from threats of the racial segregation, then delineates her life as a wander after her mother’s death. Aside from her journey in life, the alienation of the narrator

    Read More

  • Zora Neale Hurston Journey's End Summary

    1287 Words  | 6 Pages

    In 1973, Walker began a search for the author that resulted in an essay, “Looking for Zora,” which brought new and lasting attention to Hurston. Considering that Walker was able to trace the end of Hurston's journey to “an unmarked

    Read More

  • Summary Of An End To The Neglect Of The Negro Woman

    427 Words  | 2 Pages

    The excerpt I chose to reflect on is called “An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!” by Claudia Jones (1949). Jones express the concerns that women of color in her time suffer from the neglect and degradation they receive throughout their lives. During this time, the reason many African American women go through the struggles in their community originated from the notion that the “bourgeoisie is fearful of the militancy of the Negro woman” (108). In my opinion, they have every right to be afraid of African American women. As Jones stated nicely "once Negro women undertake action, the militancy of the whole Negro people, and thus of the anti-imperialist coalition, is greatly enhanced" (108).

    Read More

  • Comparing Story Of An Hour And Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston

    1184 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Sweat Hurston Character Analysis

    1101 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Zora Hurston Sweat Analysis

    676 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Gilded Six-Bits By Zora Neale Hurston

    565 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zora Neale Hurston’s book, “The Gilded Six-Bits” is an important piece of literature due to its impact on the world during the Harlem Renaissance era. It is considered a brilliant piece of modernist literature due to Hurston staying true to her background and roots as a black woman from the south, in which segregation was still a huge issue. The reason why it is considered a piece of modernist literature is because she wasn’t afraid to write in the black vernacular which was considered uneducated as blacks were progressing in arts, literature, and the music was alive. The story is filled with many different themes and issues that people can relate to such as money, deceit, and for people who have a big heart forgiveness and reconciliation.

    Read More

More about Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston Summary

Open Document