Spousal Abuse in Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston :: Zora Neale Hurston, short story

You sho is one aggravatin nigger woman this is only one example of the abhorrence in Zora Neale Hurstons perfectly story, Sweat. Spousal shout out is a very common issue in todays society. Hurston represents this form of abuse through the way the married man talks to his wife and the way he treats her.Delia is a hard-working woman who is very obedient and faithful to her husband, Sykes. Through harsh words, he cuts her ware rough her work of washing white folks clothes and her looks saying that he hates skinny woman. Delias appearance resembles her hard work, with knuckly hands from using the washboard. Delia has put many hard- clear tears, blood, and sweat into her house while supporting Sykes habits and taking all the abuse he could dish out. On many occasions Sykes has cut down Delia and her kind nature, even to her religious beliefs, accusing her of being a hipocrite because she worked on the Sabbath day.Sykes not only abused Delia emotionally but also physically. unriva led night after an argument between the two where Delia actually had the endurance to stand up to him, Sykes got into to bed and threatened that, he oughter mash her in her mouf fuh draft copy dat s stamp outet on him. After they been married only a short few months he gave her the first beating. Others in town knew of the abuse Delia suffered from. unmatched gentlemen from town made the comment one day, Sykes done beat Delia nough tuh kill three women. Many people in the town had little to no respect for Sykes because he beat Delia and Sykes even tried making offers with presents to nearly of the other mens wives.Besides physical and emotional abuse Delia had to put up with amiable abuse from her husband. At one time, Sykes put a snake in the grass into a soap box to scare Delia. Knowing that Delia had an enormous cultism of snakes, not to mention anything as small as an earthworm. Other mental and emotional abuse was that Sykes ran another woman in town, making it cognize t o Delia and everyone else in town. He made it no secret when he was departure to see Bertha, his mistress. The only thing Delia ever said about his amour was, that ole snaggle-toothed black woman you runnin with aint comin heah to pile up on mah sweat and blood.