"Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston

AS a means of getting ready to tackle Their Eyes Were Watching God, we are going to read the short story, Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston.If you need to follow the link to the text you will need to scroll down a bit to find the actual story. The site had a lot of other information related to the story.

English 12:Unit Three
“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

Directions: Read the study questions below before reading the text of “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston. Then read the story. Answer each question using specific detail from the story. Be prepared to discuss your answers in class.

1. Describe Delia:

2. Describe Sykes:

3. How does the dialogue and dialect affect the reading of the story? Give an example from the text.

4. What does the “snake” symbolize in the beginning of the story?

5. What does the snake symbolize at the end of the story?

6. Identify three themes in the story:
a)

b)

c)
7. Identify one of the Biblical allusions in the story and explain its significance to the story.

The Bull Whip The Iron Skillet Tree & Flowers The Chinaberry Tree
Clean Laundry Sweat

7. Select one of the objects from the list above and explain its symbolic significance to the story, especially when its traditional significance is juxtaposed with the significance for the character(s) in the story.

8. Select a second object from the list above and explain its significance to the story.

9. Select a third object from the list above and explain its significance to the story.