Sweat

Question 0

when was it published?

Answer 0

1926

Question 1

Author’s name

Answer 1

Zora Neale Hurston

Question 2

question #1

what kind of man is Sykes?

Answer 2

Extremely arrogant

• tells Bertha she can buy anything because he owns the town
• he is only one in town who can drive a car (possibly a chauffeur before he lost his job)
• he’s a self proclaimed snake charmer (actually snake ingested too many frogs so it made it lethargic and slow. Made it easy too catch)

Question 3

what kind of man is Sykes?

Answer 3

1. cruel/ abusive
2. womanizer/ adulterer
3. user
4. lazy/ coward
5. hypocrite

Question 4

question #1 continued…

how is Sykes cruel/abusive?

Answer 4

• throws a bull whip across Delia’s shoulder to mess with her head
• physically abusive: beat her up 2 months after married
• verbally abuses her by saying she’s too skinny and no one wants her

Question 6

question #1 continued…

how is Sykes a womanizer/ adulterer?

Answer 6

• flaunts Bertha around town

- Bertha bold to come to house (she even calls out for Sykes in front of the house)

Question 7

question #1 cont…

how is Sykes a User?

Answer 7

• financially supported by Delia

- Sykes supports Bertha via taking Delia’s hard working money she earns

Question 8

question #1 continued…

how is Sykes lazy?

Answer 8

• he doesn’t work

Question 9

question #1 cont…

how is Sykes a Coward?

Answer 9

• when Delia finally stands up for herself he walks out
• beats up on Delia’s ragged “defenseless” pony that she purchased
• uses a bull whip on pony who doesn’t need it because Delia stated she’s never had to use it ever in the past
• Sykes will beat up on anything that appears defenseless

Question 10

question #1 cont…

how is Sykes a Hypocrite?

Answer 10

• Sykes says Delia is a hypocrite because she works day after Sabbath (day of rest)
• commits adultery when it’s a sin

Question 11

Why does he do these things (2 reasons Sykes does this to Delia)?

Answer 11

1. To frustrate her to leave him

2. Hoping snake will bite and kill her so Bertha can move into the house

Question 12

Question #1 cont…

Describe the kind of relationship that he has w/ Delia. Is their relationship healthy or destructive? Why?

Answer 12

Destructive marriage because he tortures him and she puts up with him

Question 13

question 2

what kind of woman is Delia?

Answer 13

• hardworking and independent: bought her own house and horse
• patient: good Christian woman who switched churches to avoid facing his infidelity with Bertha
• has common sense/street smart: maintains a steady job

Question 14

Question 2b

why does she put up with Sykes?

Answer 14

• she puts up with him because she would not put up with divorce
• she wouldn’t leave because house is hers that she bought
• she planted flowers etc
• she’s familiar w/ Sykes and can handle him
• He doesn’t leave because Delia supports him
• During 1926 by society’s standards its his house because he is the man of the house

Question 16

question 2 c

What are Delia’s fears? how does Sykes provoke her?

Answer 16

• deathly afraid of snakes and fears anything that resembles a snake (bull whip, earthworms, strings)
• fears devils wrath: Sykes not living right
• He provokes her by throwing bull whip over her shoulder and bringing a snake to the house to torture her

Question 17

question 3

what are the 6 foreshadowing moments throughout the story that sets the reader up for the ending?

Answer 17

1. he says he’s a self proclaimed snake charmer but gets bit at the end by the snake
2. he threw a bull whip over her shoulder and narr. says she has a fear of snakes
   - this fear paralyzed her that she couldn’t move to help Sykes in the end
3. Men on porch say they want to kill Sykes
   - say he’s not worth a bullet to kill him
   - foreshadows his death
4. Delia says whatever he does, he will reap what he sows in the end. “whatever goes over the devils back is got to come under his belly. some time or another, Sykes gonna reap his sowing.”
5. Sykes brings home a snake to scare her knowing she is deathly afraid of snakes
   - -showing someone will eventually get bit
6. Delia uses the a match to light the lamp after she hears snake’s tummy rumble
   - light is blown out when she’s running out of house quickly when snake rattles
   - -the light going out foreshadows Sykes death
   - -he used the last match for Bertha’s cigarette

Question 18

question 4
how do the men on Joe Clark’s porch further readers’ understanding of Delia and Sykes and of the relationship between the two?

Answer 18

They know Delia and Sykes personally

1. she’s up and down that St. like clockwork
2. she was once healthy but now skinny from all pain Sykes put her through
3. Sykes likes his women big. he hates skinny women
4. Walter Thomas would have married Delia if Sykes didn’t get to her first.
5. Delia has always been a good Christian woman
6. Sykes beaten her up so bad he would have killed 3 women already
7. she looks older than she is. Sykes wore her down
8. Men don’t like Sykes or Bertha
   - - at one point skyes and bertha come walking up and the men stop talking and put away the watermelon they just bought, and leave but soon return as soon as they leave
9. before they were married Sykes tried to woo her
   - used to walk her home
   - he saw an opportunity & took it before anyone else did
   - -she was a high commodity because she was independent and worked
10. one man said Sykes bought another man’s wife pecans picked from Delia’s tree.
    - woman told him to bring those pecans back to Delia. They were from her hardworking sweat

Question 19

question 5

is it ironic that Sykes is the one who dies at the end? why not?

Answer 19

a. it is ironic that he brought snake to kill Delia to bring harm to her
- killed by his own doing

Question 20

question 5 b

What does snake symbolize or represent in the story?

Answer 20

snake symbolizes
- death, the devil, manipulative–just like Sykes
- fear
- freedom and protection: when snakes eat frogs it rattles (giving signals her warning)
she is warned by the rattle and runs to safety

Question 21

question 6

To what extent is Sykes responsible for his death?

Answer 21

a. it was ultimately Sykes fault because
1. he brought snake home
2. he goes into house that he brought the snake to
3. he destroyed the soap box before he knew it was empty
4. When he realizes snake he looks for a match but there was none. he used the last match for Bertha’s cigarette
5. he can’t tell where the snake is because he’s making too much noise.

Question 22

question 6 b

to what extent is Delia responsible?

Answer 22

Delia is not responsible because
1. when she hears snake rattle she runs out of house to hayloft where she falls asleep then is awakened by Sykes. He is drunk and loud.
2. she comes to the window of the barn
- he calls her out for help
3. snake bites him and his neck and eye are swollen he can only see out of one eye.
he can see her looking at him out of his one eye
4. Narrator tells us she’s paralyzed with fear of snakes describing that she could not move because her legs went flabby.

Question 23

question 6 c

do you think Delia’s inaction at the end of story is immoral?

Answer 23

No it was not immoral because the nearest doctor was in Orlando and it would be too late by the time they arrived there.
- even if they got there in time she would not have been given good meds. in that time period only wealthy white people got the good meds.

Question 24

question 6d

do you think she consciously chose to ignore Sykes plea for help? why?

Answer 24

she consciously felt bad for him but was too paralyzed with fear of the snake she could not move