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Duties as a Wash Woman: Delia Jones

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Duties as a Wash Woman: Delia Jones
Sweat Analysis

This novella is about a wash woman named Delia Jones. She washed clothes for a family of white people. Sykes, her husband, ridicule Delia about her job occupation. Sykes, her husband often cheated on her and beat her brutality. "So she collected the soiled clothes on Saturday when she returned the clean things. Sunday night after church, she sorted them and put the white things to soak. It saved her almost a half day's start. A great hamper in the bedroom held the clothes that she brought home," (Hurston 3-6) she described in great detail about her duties as a wash woman. The name of the woman who Sykes cheated on with name is Bertha. Delia wouldn't allowed her to stay at her house. Delia was the primary breadwinner and actually brought the house they stay in. "'Naw you won't," she panted, "that ole snaggle-toothed black woman you runnin' with aint comin' heah to pile up on mah sweat and blood. You aint paid for nothin' on this place, and Ah'm gointer stay right heah till Ah'm toted out foot foremost.'" (Hurston 84-87). The time period in which this story is written in the white men were dominant. African Americans wasn't slaves but was dependent on white people as a source of income. African American females was more powerless than African American male and as a result was often given the lowest jobs available. Delia worked hard for her simple life and Sykes often abused that.
"Delia pushed back her plate and got up from the table. "Ah hates you, Sykes," she said calmly. "Ah hates you tuh de same degree dat Ah useter love yuh. Ah done took an' took till mah belly is full up tuh mah neck. Dat's de reason Ah got mah letter fum de church an' moved mah membership tuh Woodbridge--so Ah don't haf tuh take no sacrament wid yuh. Ah don't wantuh see yuh 'roun' me atall. Lay 'roun' wid dat 'oman all yuh wants tuh, but gwan 'way fum me an' mah house. Ah hates yuh lak uh suck-egg dog,"' (Hurston
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