How is Sykes characterized in this section of the story?
How is Sykes characterized in this section of the story? Sykes’ first action in the story is scaring Delia with his whip, which we quickly learn is not a playful prank but a mean-spirited action. He proceeds to taunt and provoke Delia, despite the fact that she works to support them while he is out with another woman.
How does Sykes die at the end of the story?
Sykes bring a snake into the house, hoping to scare Delia out. She finds it in the laundry basket and runs away in fright. That night, Sykes gets bitten by the snake. He dies, and Delia is free.
Why is Sykes so abusive towards Delia?
Delia probably stays with Sykes after he has been so abusive to her because within that time period women did not typically divorce their husbands. She also has a personality that suggests that she upholds commitments and will bear through difficult times.
What does the phrase she knew the cold river was creeping up?
When she stated the phrase “she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish that eye” he was revealing that Sykes was dying. He did this by using a cold river to symbolize Death and which would extinguish the eye which was a metaphor for his life.
What is the dramatic irony in sweat?
By now, the reader has perceived what is in store for Sykes. They knew it the minute Sykes went into that house expecting to find Delia dead, but Sykes didn’t know it. The dramatic irony is when the reader is left with the awareness that Sykes never expected his tragic end, but has indeed gotten what he deserved.
How is foreshadowing used in the short story sweat by Zora Neale Hurston?
Foreshadowing: Delia after almost being beaten said “Oh well, whatever goes over the Devil’s back, is got to come under his belly. ” resembling that Sykes was going to get what was coming to him.
What is the irony of sweat?
The main irony in the story is that all of Sykes’ schemes against Delia result in unexpected, negative consequences for him. Sykes brings the snake into the house because he knows that Delia is mortally afraid of reptiles. To Sykes, the snake is a weapon. His main goal is to get Delia to leave.
What does the whip symbolize in sweat?
Snakes. The snake, long a symbol of evil and malevolence, is used throughout the story. Delia is deathly afraid of snakes, a fact that Sykes uses to his advantage. At the beginning of the story, he tricks her with a whip to scare her and to show her once again that he has dominance over her.