"Sweat" Blog (Theme)

        The theme projected in the story “Sweat” Zora Neale Houston is that of an intricate one. What Zora wants the reader to pull from this story is that karma for those who wrong others can be swift and severe. Throughout the story, Delia has to put up with her abusive, unfaithful, and cruel husband for a period of fifteen years. One of the only pleasures she maintains throughout their time together is washing clothes; but to no surprise he torments and ridicules her for the act of cleaning white citizens’ clothing. In the story, it is made very evident that she puts all the work and ‘sweat’ into their relationship; as illustrated by “Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it” (2). Sykes thinks of nothing but to act on her new-found courage and beat her senselessly; showing his so-called dominance. He later decides to attack her psychologically with her biggest fear: snakes, by bringing in a six-foot rattle snake. As the story moved forwards, Delia becomes resentful and develops a hatred for her husband; being accentuated by “Ah hates you tuh same degree dat Ah useter love yuh” (6). Lucky for her, it does, as Sykes’s snake prank goes badly and backfires on him with the snake biting at his throat; inevitably killing him. The fact of the story is that throughout Delia’s life she (a kind person) had dealt with more than her fair share of pain and torment, and due to the mysterious ways of karma, things were balanced in her favor.