Sweat

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1926

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Summary

Background

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Character Analysis

Delia Jones

The story’s protagonist, Delia Jones, is a hardworking woman. Her work and financial independence is sharply contrasted with her role in her abusive marriage, in which her husband Sykes wields more power. Although she has suffered physical abuse starting only two months into her marriage, in the story we see her stand up for herself both verbally and physically, particularly when it comes to her work, in which she takes immense pride. She diligently tracks her work and its results, and thinks of the house, the pony, the cart, etc., as her own. Indeed, much of what they have was earned with the fruits of her labor. The story depicts Delia applying this sense of authority and independence in her marriage, as she begins defying her cruel and unfaithful husband.

Delia’s hard work is described directly in the narrative, but it is also expressed through descriptions of her body. When lying in bed after a fight with Sykes, the first in which she stood up to him, she reflects on how she has changed since they were married: “She was young and soft then, but now she thought of her knotty, muscled limbs, her harsh knuckly hands” (Paragraph 25). The narrator later tells readers of her “work-worn knees” (Paragraph 58). Though Delia is proud of her work, it has taken a toll on her body. This emphasizes the depth of Sykes’s cruelty and ingratitude, as rather than recognize and appreciate Delia’s sacrifices, he only adds to her troubles.

Delia’s status as an abuse victim is recognized by herself and apparently by the entire community, but she refuses to be defined by her domestic circumstances. As the story progresses, her courage and her voice both grow stronger. She reclaims control over her life, sometimes actively by standing up for herself and her work, and other times passively by letting Sykes’s plans and the snake’s nature rid her of her abusive husband.

Sykes Jones

The story’s antagonist, Sykes Jones, is a cruel man. His status as a terrible husband is acknowledged throughout the community, which regards him as a freeloader, a philanderer, an abuser (emotional and physical), and a braggart. Both Delia and the neighborhood men feel that Sykes has “wrung her out” actively, with his actions and behavior, and also passively, by forcing her to work so much and claiming the resulting material gains as his own.

Sykes’s wanton cruelty is most clear in his interactions with Delia, as he finds humor in his wife’s suffering and deliberately plays on her worst fears for his personal gain and amusement. Though the story does not provide clear motivations for Sykes’s behavior, the text suggests many possibilities. Hurston may be suggesting that some people are simply bad people, as evidenced by lines like “Tain’t no law on earth dat kin make a man be decent if it ain’t in ’im” (Paragraph 40). It is also possible that Sykes’s anger and abusive behavior stem from shame at being unable or unwilling to work and provide. Sykes himself may also be deeply unhappy and trying to escape his situation; the stresses of racism and segregation may be causing him to lash out. Regardless, Sykes is not characterized fully enough for clear answers to these questions.

The Neighborhood Men

The neighborhood men play an important role in the story. Several of these characters are named, though none of them are developed. These characters give life and voice to the community, and their conversations provide important exposition that expands the reader’s understanding of Delia and Sykes, conveying additional detail about Delia’s suffering, her work, and her decline over the years of her marriage, and about Sykes’s poor behavior and his affair with Bertha. Though the men hold a righteous position in condemning Sykes, they also idly speculate about beating and killing him and Bertha, though they never confront Sykes or attempt to stop his abuse in any way.

Bertha

Through Bertha, Hurston makes use of the stereotypical or archetypical “other woman.” The story reveals very little about her character: Her name is Bertha, she is having a very open and public affair with Sykes, and she is fat—the body type Sykes prefers to a skinny woman like his wife, Delia. As a character, Bertha functions more as a part of Sykes’s character, demonstrating his infidelity and other negative traits. As Delia puts it, “if it were not Bertha it would be someone else” (Paragraph 25).