Zora Neale Hurston wrote Sweat in the early 1900's. This story shows the extent of an African American women struggling in this time. Hurston died in a welfare home, she was poor and buried in an unmarked grave, this shows of how in the story the author is a lot like the character.
             The story takes place in Flordia. Delia Jones, the main character, is a washwoman who works very hard for her money while her husband obviously neglects her and has extra marital affairs. All of the community is aware of Syke Jones' (Delia's husband) actions and also of how he physically abuses Delia.
             Hurston emphasizes the word "sweat" in the beginning of this short story. The author uses it to show the extent of labor that Delia does. Delia rises early and works very hard just to help support her husband. Hurston wrote "sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat." This shows that no matter what Delia does it is a constant struggle. She works hard everyday, and sometimes it takes a toll on her, also when she tries to have time to pray it is still a struggle for her because that is the time when she must accept the things she cannot change, even though she wants a better life for herself.
             Delia thinks of her marriage in an unhappy manner. Delia uses flowers to speak of what once was between her and Syke. Their relationship use to be different he use to love her and treat her right, but after they were married things drastically changed. She speaks of her marriage in comparison to a flower drowning in a salty stream. The salty stream could represent the tears that she has shed over the years, or it could show how everything has withered away because when a flower is subjected to salt water it shrivels up. So the author could of used the flower and salty stream to mean either of these things. Either way it shows her heartache.
             Delia home was her escape. She had worked hard fo...