Symbolism in Zora Neale Hurston’s ‘‘Sweat’’

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Symbolism in Hurston’s ‘‘Sweat’’
Zora Neale Hurston’s ‘‘Sweat’’ tells the story of Delia Jones, a hardworking, resilient, and religious washerwoman locked in an abusive marriage. Her husband, Sykes Jones, is offensive and unfaithful in his marriage. After fifteen years of marriage, the couple hates each other. Sykes wants Delia to leave their house to allow him to live with his new lover. However, he refuses to leave. Sykes attempts to force her out by putting a rattlesnake in the house. His plan flops as the snake attacks and kills him instead. The author uses symbolism throughout the story to develop themes and add depth to the plot. Delia's sweat symbolizes her hard work. The author also used a snake to represent evil, laundry to signify Delia's livelihood, and a chinaberry tree to symbolize Delia's calm. Generally, Hurston uses symbolism to demonstrate Delia’s marital challenges. Based on good and evil and women empowerment themes, the story presents a feminist viewpoint of overcoming abuse and achieving justice.
The first symbolism is the story's title, ‘‘Sweat,’’ repeated throughout the narrative. Sweat is a product of hard labor. Blood, sweat, and tears are often used metaphorically to indicate hard work. In this story, sweat symbolizes the hardships in Della’s life. Hurston uses it to demonstrate how Delia is committed to her work to provide for her family. Throughout the story, Delia sweats while working as a washerwoman. She also sweats when her husband neglects and abuses her and as she prays. The author writes, “Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!” (Hurston 1023), indicating that Delia’s life revolves around hardships. Although the sweat from work is positive and gives the protagonist ownership, the story clarifies that Delia suffers excessively. She must work extremely hard and endure more pain than any woman should sustain.
Another symbol is the rattlesnake. It signifies evil. Biblically, the snake has been seen as an evil. In the Biblical story of the fall of humankind, the snake tricks Eve, causing her to eat the forbidden fruit. Jesus also uses a snake figuratively to signify evil. In Luke 10:19, Jesus says, ‘‘I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you’’. Therefore, snakes are always associated with evil or trouble. In Hurston's story, the snake signifies the oppression and abuse encountered by Delia in her marriage. When their marriage turns sour, Sykes brings a rattlesnake into the house to scare Delia and assert his power over her.
At the story's beginning, Sykes tricks Delia with a whip to scare her and prove to Delia that he dominates her. Moments later, Sykes catches a giant rattlesnake and brings it. Though Delia implores him to kill the snake, he leaves it in the house to rattle continually, a sign of trouble. Sykes knows that Delia fears snakes and takes advantage of the situation. Since Delia will not leave the house to bring his new lover, Sykes knows the snake will force her to leave the house. Unfortunately, the snake kills Sykes, freeing Delia from her violent husband. The snake venom represents the abuse and toxicity brought by Sykes. Therefore, when he attempts to use evil through the rattlesnake to eliminate Delia, it turns against him. His toxicity and abuse primarily caused his death.
Another symbolism is the chinaberry tree. It is an invasive species that provide lovely shade. However, its fruits are poisonous. One of the elements the tree symbolizes is Delia's independence being that her husband is gone. After the rattlesnake Sykes brings to terrify Delia bites him, he sits under a chinaberry tree, groaning from the snake bite. Delia also sits under the same tree waiting for Sykes to die. She knows there is no hope for her husband’s survival and ma...