Response to Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat

1. Conflict in Story

The conflict is Delia versus Sykes. They both have been married for fifteen years. Every day, Sykes always argue and cause disturbance for Delia. He's a horrible husband to Delia.

2. Strong Sense of time and place

I have a strong sense of the time and place. The setting is somewhere in the 1870s of Florida. It was a time when there weren't many laws to protect women, and men were abusive to their wives. The setting is also in the country side.

3. What character interest you?

Sykes is the character that interest me. He interests me because he's a terrible husband to Delia. He's always arguing with her and sometimes he beats her. What I do not understand is why did he married Delia if he hated her so much? Why didn't Sykes divorce her, but instead kept her for fifteen years? Sykes also interest me because of his different personalities such as hating his wife and acting cocky when he captured a rattle snake.

4. Are the behavior of the characters plausible?

Yes, the behavior is plausible especially Sykes' actions. His mean behavior towards Delia is plausible. The setting has a time period in the 1870s. During this time, a man has a lot of power and influences over his wife. So it's natural for Sykes to behave the way he is. Back in time, women weren't even treated fairly.

5. How would you characterize the style?

I would characterize the author's style as descriptive and through dialogue. The author used a lot of dialogue to portray the actions in the story. The author also described the setting very much.