"Sweat" and "Gilded Six-Bits" by Zora Neale Hurston: A Closer Look

Perhaps the most important event in the story occurs when Sykes brings home a huge six-foot living snake. Fear once again overcomes Delia and she pleads, “Syke! Syke, mah Gawd! You take dat rattlesnake ‘way from heah! You gottuh. Oh, Jesus, have mussy” (360). Sykes, on the other hand, stands in amusement almost as if he loves to see Delia psychologically abused. His cockiness unravels as he acts like he is invincible and like anyone and anything should and will comply with him. In regards to the enormous snake, Sykes boasts, “…He wouldn’t bite me cause Ah knows how tuh handel ‘im” (360). He makes sure to instill fear into Delia by telling her to be careful because the snake would have no problem coming after her. Hurston also has Sykes portray his own death. In this same scene, Sykes’ reply to

In “The Gilded Six Bits” by Zora Neale Hurston, the arrival of Otis Slemmons changes Missie May’s perception of success and social identity, while creating a chasm in her relationship with her husband Joe. After seeing Slemmons’ gold, Missie May desires some of her own, especially for Joe. However, she denies the fact that she and Joe are unable to acquire gold even when Joe explains, “Who would be losin’ gold money round heah? We ain’t even seen none dese white folks wearin’ no gold money on dey watch chain. You must be figgerin’ Mister Packard or Mister Cadillac goin’ pass through heah” (Neale 545). In the beginning, she did not think much about Slemmons’ gold, but as Joe continue to praise and magnify Slemmons for his wealth, Missie May desires other people to recognize Joe for the same reason.

In the beginning of the story, Zora Neale Hurston characterizations Sykes as a bully to illustrate that he bullies people. I say that because on pg 1 he was trying to start an argument and is say that because he said: “ you sho is one aggravatin nigger women”. That shows that he wants her to feel bad which shows that he is verbally abusive which is a sign on a bully. Another piece of evidence is on page 1 when it talked about how talked about her and called her names and I say that because he said: “If you such a big fool dat you got to have a fit over a earthworm or string”. That piece of evidence shows that he has no respect for her because he knows that she scared for worms and snakes but does it anyway and that shows that he

As the story flew, you could now understand why Hurston chose a title "sweat". It was the reason to make the woman, Delia, stood up and fight for herself as she was shouting helplessly in the fight with Sykes: "Looka heah, Sykes, you done gone too fur. Ah been married to you fifteen years, and Ah been takin' in washin' fur fifteen years. Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!" All she loved, and earned by her sweat is her home. Not matter what happened to her,

Zora Neale Hurston's short story, “Sweat,” portrays a conflict between the elements of good and evil. Delia, a battered wife, represents God or a God like figure. Sykes, or the evil Satan like figure, constantly inflicts physical, psychological, and verbal damage to this God like figure. He does this to attempt to overcome Delia, or defeat God. If his actions are successful, it could be perceived as Satan defeating God.

“Sweat” by Zora Neal Hurston is one simple yet powerful story that aims to reveal the plight of women through Delia. Delia turns out to be an empowered woman who has built her own home, handles her family’s finances, works hard, and takes pleasure in the results of her hard work. The fascinating fact about Delia whom I believe represents women in general, is that she was able to establish and maintain a home despite being married to an inconsiderate husband who only brought a longing for the flesh instead of love into the relationship (699).

Hurston stating, “Just then Delia drove past on her way home, as Sykes was ordering magnificently for Bertha. It pleased him for Delia to see.” Sykes flaunts Delia’s hard-earned money on his mistress and feels satisfied when Delia sees. In addition to buying Bertha “Strawberry Soda-water”, he also pays for her rent. As the

In Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat”, Delia undergoes a psychological and moral developmental change in response to the abusive nature of her husband, Sykes. This change is best represented by a pivotal moment in the text, the moment when Delia wields the iron skillet in newly found defiance against Sykes’ abuse. This defining moment in Delia’s life is also a defining moment in the text, highlighting the underlying concept of feminine resistance to over bearing masculinity.

Delia has had to make an enormous amount of sacrifices just to provide for Sykes and herself, due to her poor financial situation. Sykes being the person who “wore the pants” in the home, never acknowledges her work or appreciates it. Instead he torments her about working on a Sunday. The Holy Day. He always expects her to treat him like the be all. Since

She tells him that he and his mistress, Bertha will not get anything from her and her hard earned home. Sykes makes plans to make Delia leave the house that she paid for so that he can move his mistress in. Delia does not budge though. One day, Delia gets home and finds a wooden box topped with a wire mesh outside. Sykes claims that it is a present, but when she looks in, the box contains a rattlesnake. Delia is terrified and almost blacks out, much to Sykes’s cruel amusement. Keeping the snake as a pet continues to amuse him, as does showing it off to the town’s men and bragging about his ability to tame the dangerous pet. The snake is the final straw for Delia, and she finally confronts her husband, declaring that she will no longer tolerate his abuse. Shocked once again by Delia’s uncharacteristic defiance, Sykes leaves the house. Later, Delia leaves for church but when she returns home she finds the snake and decides to let his plan backfires on him, releasing the snake in the house for him to find himself. Sometime in the night, she is woken by Sykes demolishing the wooden box in which he had kept the snake. She watches him enter the dark house and then creeps after

Hurston treats Delia’s dialogue with Sykes the same pattern she does her thoughts. Delia starts off very calm yet insolent until she lashes out. After Sykes returns from his scandalous Sunday night out, he tosses around Delia’s hard work and is ungrateful for her work. Hurston uses speaking words such as “declared”, “threatened”, “snorted”, “screamed”, and “panted” (530-531) to add a certain passive-aggressiveness to their conversation, allowing the reader to absorb some of the tension in the room. His constant nagging causes Delia to extend her claws; She wielded the skillet for self protection for the first time in their history together. Hurston carefully uses the word “meekness” (531) to illustrate the eternal suffering that Delia had been experiencing with Sykes just before the skillet scene to help build up the amount of thoughts and pain coming at the reader. Hurston uses both Delia’s thoughts and action to hint at the possible ending

Zora Naele Hurston published “Sweat” in the 1920’s, a piece of literature which narrates the story of a hard-working woman by the name of Delia Jones and her struggles to overcome the oppression of her abusive husband. As the piece of literature advances, readers can interpret various symbols incorporated into the writing. Three of the major themes found in this story are domestic abuse, empowerment, and survival and these are interlinked by symbols such as the pile of white clothes, her sweat, and the Chinaberry tree. The symbols in the story and the theme together make the story more powerful and amazing for the readers. In addition, Delia Jones character is a dynamic character that rises from the ashes from being this character that tolerates Sykes’ abuse into liberated soul who no longer lives in fear.

Hurston's novel The Gilded Six-Bits is curdle in Eatonville, Florida; which proper so occur to be the first all dusky burgh to embodied in the USA. The statement go after a junior, newly pledge united; Joe and Missie May. All seems showy and dudish at first; Joe preempt her ready and Missie sous-chef up nice gratify. But then a unspent fool, Otis D. Slemmons, show up in village from Chicago to sincere up an floe mantle locutory and resentment waste on the nuptials.

In the short story by Zora Neale Hurston called "Sweat" a woman named Delia is in a very toxic marriage, both physically and mentally. Her husband,Sykes, has been mistreating her and when he leaves for work, he is going to be with another women. After 15 years of marriage with Sykes, Delia is completely lost hope for their marriage. She have encountered harrowing acts and abusive acts from the man she once loved.

In Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat", there is more than one reference to white people. What is most significant about this fact is that there are no white people in the story, and none appear to reside within the town that the story takes place in. However, a careful analysis of this tale demonstrates the fact that despite a dearth of the physical presence of white people, they actually have a significant amount of power in this tale and over the characters and, indirectly, over their fates.