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 sophisticate in Zora Neale Hurstons short story, Sweat. Spousal abuse is a very customary issue in todays society. Hurston represents this form of abuse through the way the husband talks to his wife and the way he treats her.Delia is a hard-working woman who is very amenable and faithful to her husband, Sykes. Through harsh words, he cuts her down about her work of washing white folks clothes and her looks saying that he hates skinny woman. Delias behavior resembles her hard work, with knuckly hands from using the washboard. Delia has put many hard- earned 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. One night after an argument between the two where Delia actually had the courage to stand up to him, Sykes got into to bed and threatened that, he oughter squelch her in her mouf fuh drawing dat skillet 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. One gentlemen from town do 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 some of the other mens wives.Besides physical and emotional abuse Delia had to put up with affable abuse from her husband. At one time, Sykes put a snake into a soap box to scare Delia. Knowing that Delia had an enormous fear of snakes, not to diagnose anything as small as an earthworm. Other mental and emotional abuse was that Sykes ran another woman in town, making it known to Delia and everyone else in town. He made it no secret w hen he was going to see Bertha, his mistress. The only thing Delia ever said about his affair was, that ole snaggle-toothed black woman you runnin with aint comin heah to pile up on mah sweat and blood.