Sweat Suffering & Struggle Quotes

Okay, it's pretty easy to be on Team Delia and not Team Sykes. It's the perfect image of weak vs. strong, like the mouse vs. the lion, or David vs. Goliath. On the outside, it seems like she's got little chance against the hulk.

Here, Delia stands up for herself and defines her role as the bread-winner and laborer in the marriage. Sticking your hands in tubs and cleaning for fifteen years sounds pretty awful; doing it with a husband like Sykes sounds agonizing, and she drives the point home with the repetition of the word 'sweat.'

Delia has fed Sykes for fifteen years and receives no thanks. What's that about? Perhaps it has something to do with laziness—he got used to a certain lifestyle and then just decided to never change it. Of course, Delia didn't help matters by staying quiet for so long, but better late than never, right?

Delia knew Sykes was trouble in the first year? Oy. We think a lot of Delia's inaction can be explained by the fact that the story takes place in the 1920s, when women had few rights or opportunities. It could also be due to her religious sense of duty, or the hope that maybe, just maybe, Sykes will change.

Joe Lindsay—one of the porch customers—lets us know just how hard of a worker Delia is. There is a sense of respect and awe for her by the men. They sympathize and root for her, just like us. You go, girl.

Ouch. The image of Delia crawling (although not literal) makes us wince. These months are full of suffering for Delia—living with Sykes while he spends her money on another woman, working all day every day, and trying not to succumb to the struggles in her life. Just hold on for one more day, Delia, hold on.

The last straw for Delia comes when Sykes brings the snake home. This dirty and insensitive action pushes Delia to act and finally kick the guy out of her house. At least something good came out of his dumb idea.

What exactly is Delia hoping for? We think she hopes Sykes will leave her alone by threatening to turn him over to the police. The fact that she doesn't really believe the white police will help her is significant to the time period of "Sweat"—African Americans were definitely not high on the priority list when it came to law enforcement.

All Delia wants while she's cleaning and folding clothes is one tiny moment of rest. She sits on the bed and works, but before she can settle down, the snake appears. Hey, at least it probably got her adrenaline running.

This quote is the only time we see Sykes suffer in "Sweat." We know he's been bitten at least once by the snake and is in a world of pain. The real challenge of this scene is how to react and how to feel. We know that Sykes is no good, and yet, we are led to feel slightly uncomfortable at the feeling of relief that comes with his death.