How does Sykes feel about Delia and her work?
He teases her about her work but secretly appreciates it. He believes she should wash black folks' clothes as well
.
Why does Sykes resent Delia's work?
He contends that while she has “comes from de church house on a Sunday night,” Delia is “nothing but a hypocrite” because she worships at church all day and then “come home and wash white folks clothes on the Sabbath.” Sykes believes that Delia
is disingenuous in her faith
because she works on the day where no work is …
What are Sykes true feelings towards Delia?
Sykes represents the many men during the 1920s who
mistreated and dishonored their wives
. All of Sykes negativity towards Delia was displayed throughout the story. No matter how hard she worked and how much she tried to make things work with her husband, he still found ways to degrade and belittle her.
What is the relationship between Sykes and Delia?
Sykes: Sykes is a stereotypical abusive husband. He physically and mentally abuses Delia, takes her income while failing to make his own, and
has an affair on the side
. Despite being out of work, for three months he has paid his mistress Bertha's rent.
Does Sykes try to kill Delia?
Delia decides she does not need Sykes in her life, while Sykes has decided to seek his freedom with his mistress Bertha.
Sykes plots to kill Delia by hiding a rattlesnake in her washing basket
. However, in a twist of fate, Sykes himself is bitten by the snake.
What does Delia threaten to do the next time that Sykes beats her?
In Hurston's “Sweat”, Delia takes the abuse without fighting back until the fifteenth year of their marriage. Then she starts to fight back by reminding Sykes that he is dependent on her and by
threatening him that if he dares to beat her again she will tell the white people so help her
.
What does Sykes use to scare Delia at the beginning of sweat?
Delia is a washerwoman who works long hours in a small Central Florida village. Her husband Sykes does not work, yet he resents that Delia cleans “white folks'” clothes in their home. Sykes scares his wife of fifteen years by using
her fear of snakes
.
How much did Delia contribute to saving her marriage?
Delia contributed to saving her marriage by
working and sweating for fifteen years
.
What does Delia do for a living?
Delia is the protagonist and main character of “Sweat.” A hardworking middle-aged black woman, she makes her living
washing other people's clothes
. Delia is married to the lazy and abusive Sykes.
What kind of characters are Delia and Sykes?
Delia and Sykes are drastically different characters.
Delia is an honest, church going woman
, who cleans white people ‘s laundry to make ends meet and Skyes is a low-down womanizer who uses his wife ‘s income to support not only himself but also Bertha the woman he is having an affair with.
Was Delia wrong for not helping Sykes when he was in trouble?
While it is never morally right to allow someone to die when help is available, it is, nevertheless, understandable that
Delia would not aid Sykes
, who has been terribly abusive for many years. Sykes is guilty of mental and physical abuse, as well as adulterous behavior, behavior that he flaunts…
How does Delia feel about Bertha?
Which of the following best describes Delia's feelings toward Bertha?
Delia believes she can win Bertha's sympathy by pretending to be blind and deaf
. Delia has no desire to engage with Bertha and does not care to hear the village gossip. Delia envies Bertha because Bertha does not need to work for her own living.
What is in the box that Sykes brings to Delia?
One hot day in August, Delia comes home to find that Sykes has
caught a rattlesnake
and placed it in a box by the kitchen door—seemingly in order to scare her away. … Delia gets angry and once again tells Sykes to take the snake away, saying that she will not stand for this treatment.
When Delia and Sykes are hurling insults uses a simile to compare Sykes ears to what?
He compares them to
a joint of sugar cane
. He compares them to the devil.
What happens to Sykes at the end of sweat?
Sykes
bring a snake into the house
, hoping to scare Delia out. She finds it in the laundry basket and runs away in fright. That night, Sykes gets bitten by the snake. He dies, and Delia is free.
Is Delia a weak or strong character in sweat?
Delia Jones is a
weak protagonist
who goes through unfortunate events with her husband to emerge as a strong protagonist in the end of the story “Sweat”. Delia starts off emotionally weak at the beginning of the story because she cannot stand up for herself, especially around her husband Sykes.
