In Zora Neale Hurston’s 1926 story “Sweat”, the characters become entangled in deception that cost one person his life. Delia’s hard work has become a lifetime combination of washing white people’s cloths and endless household chores while her husband contributes nothing. Her husband Sykes is an unemployed philandering man that brings little trust to their marriage. Delia has lost all hope in happiness because of the many beatings by the hands of her worthless husband. “Sweat” is a symbol for Delia’s hard work, abusive marriage, and cheating husband.
Hard work constructs her body of frail stature and knuckled hands. Delia is a faithful religious woman that has developed into the woman she never intended being. She desperately tries to avoid work on the Sabbath, but never seems to make ends meet and get ahead. Her husband Sykes continuously demeans her for the hard work she does on Sunday, while he sits around and does nothing. For the last fifteen years, all her existence has been sweat and other people’s dirty cloths “Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat” (1023).
Sykes’ abusive ways towards Delia throughout the story eventually wind up costing him his life. Delia has lived and tolerated Sykes’ physical and emotional abuse for fifteen years.” So fur as beatin’ is concerned, yuh aint took near all dat you gointer ef yuh stay ‘round’ me” (1027). In the beginning of their marriage, she was soft, young and could tolerate the beatings, but eventually she starts to fight back. She’s an emotionally tough woman who endures ‘Sweat’ to continue fulfilling her religious beliefs of marriage. Delia is furious with Sykes’ dinner table antics and brutal slander. Vulgarly realizing he’s only attracted to heavy women; Sykes constantly criticizes her stringy neck, skinny body and bonny legs. Towards the end, she begins to despise him as much as she used to love him. The beatings terminate once she started to stand up for herself. She finally...