by Joseph Edwin Pineda

Created on: October 27, 2008   Last Updated: April 13, 2012

"Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurtson: this short story was tremendously interesting with such strong and mind gripping words that totally and utterly ensnared and encaptured me from beginning to end. This is a story that has great direction, climax and total resolution. The protagonist, (Delia) is a hard working married woman of fifteen years, who religiously devotes her time, (blood, sweat, and tears) to God, husband and work; who seems to never get a break from her abusive, alcoholic, adulterated husband until

The main allusions of this story are that of Biblical references. Directly and mostly indirectly, the author uses biblical stories to parallel the life of Delia. For example, the snake in this story represents Sykes and all his evilness. In the Bible, the snake represents the devil and all his wickedness. In the book of Geneses, we see the fall of man came as a result of disobedience to God. This disobedience was provoked as a result of the snake, the devil that deceived Eve by enticing her flesh. Leading Eve on, he, the devil lied to Eve explaining that partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make and turn her into God, knowing all things. Adam as well partook and heeded the words of his wife, thus causing disobedience to God which is sin, thus causing sin, which separates us from a holy God.

Throughout this story, Sykes tries to scare his wife to death with a snake. He knows that his wife is totally and utterly petrified of snakes. He first uses his whip at the beginning of the story, assuming a snake; his whip outright frightened Delia almost to death. Later Sykes decides to bring a real snake, a rattle snake into their house in which case brings tremendous fear and anxiety to Delia.

Another reference is when Bertha and Sykes decide to flaunt their adultery in public during a three month period. To Delia's shame and despair of personal and public eye, the author equates Delia's pain and agony to that of Jesus Christ when in the garden of Gethsemane prior to His (Jesus') kiss of death, which is to say, His crucifixion and death on the cross.

On page 361, Delia speaks of her cup running over. Again, the bible speaks of Jesus and His cup of suffering. Jesus took the cup and did not let it pass. He bore our sin and paid the price on the cross; so that we the world, who believe and trust in Him, could live forever and have direct access to God the Father. We can see His perfection in action, where as Delia's cup is too much to bear and

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