“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston



“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

In Zora Neale Hurston’s story, a snake (which caused so many problems in Eden) balances the odds against a mentally and physically abused wife. Because of the heavy use of dialect, you may wish to read parts of “Sweat” aloud to hear the sound and rhythm of the characters’ speech.

• As you read the story, mark the text according to the directions in the margin. Also mark ideas and images that you think are especially significant.

• Give complete answers to the questions. Use text support, including direct quotations, in your responses.

1. Delia sweats while she earns a living washing clothes in hot water. Some townspeople say they would not want to eat at Delia’s house because the food would taste like sweat. How much “sweat” has Delia contributed to saving her marriage? What toll has this “sweat” taken on Delia’s physical and mental health?

2. Delia often expresses herself through African-American folk proverbs or religious statements. Choose two of these expressions/allusions and explain how they foreshadow events in the story.

3. The townspeople all know that Sykes mistreats Delia. What unified action do they take to express their displeasure? Is this an effective action? Why or why not? What else could the townspeople have done?

4. After Sykes has been bitten by the snake, Delia hears him call her name. Why doesn’t she respond to his calls for help? Since she does not respond, is Delia partly responsible for Sykes’s death? Why or why not?

“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

In Zora Neale Hurston’s story, a snake (which caused so many problems in Eden) balances the odds against a mentally and physically abused wife. Because of the heavy use of dialect, you may wish to read parts of “Sweat” aloud to hear the sound and rhythm of the characters’ speech.

• As you read the story, mark the text according to the directions in the margin. Also mark ideas and images that you think are especially significant.

• Give complete answers to the questions. Use text support, including direct quotations, in your responses.

1. Delia sweats while she earns a living washing clothes in hot water. Some townspeople say they would not want to eat at Delia’s house because the food would taste like sweat. How much “sweat” has Delia contributed to saving her marriage? What toll has this “sweat” taken on Delia’s physical and mental health?

2. Delia often expresses herself through African-American folk proverbs or religious statements. Choose two of these expressions/allusions and explain how they foreshadow events in the story.

3. The townspeople all know that Sykes mistreats Delia. What unified action do they take to express their displeasure? Is this an effective action? Why or why not? What else could the townspeople have done?

4. After Sykes has been bitten by the snake, Delia hears him call her name. Why doesn’t she respond to his calls for help? Since she does not respond, is Delia partly responsible for Sykes’s death? Why or why not?

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download