Use Of The Snake In Zora Neale Hurston's Sweat

Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “Sweat” is about the empowerment of Delia, the main character, as she tries to find herself and overcome her husband’s abusive strong hold. Throughout the story snakes are fervently discussed symbolizing evil and malevolence. Delia is petrified of snakes and her husband uses this to his advantage. Thus the snake in “Sweat” makes biblical references to The Garden of Eden and the Forbidden Fruit and the evil that can be so tempting. Just as Sykes uses the snake in “Sweat” to scare Delia and become powerful, in some way, Satan entered into the body of the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve.The serpent was the instrument the Devil used to do his bidding. At first Delia loathes the idea of even being in the same room

as a snake, yet in the end the snake kills her husband, bringing the notion that one’s own evil may one day come back to bite you.
“Sweat” carries the undertone of a feministic re-write of The Garden of Eden. There are flowers and fruits and Chinaberry trees mentioned within the short story and these always symbolize womanhood and fertility. Chinaberry trees are very beautiful, but their fruit is poisonous, thus relating to the Apple that tempts Adam and Eve. Delia’s husband Sykes rebels against God throughout the entirety of the writing and in turn his soul becomes hard. In a way he elevates himself to a Godly level, trying to control all of those around him and constantly asserting his powers. Delia is the opposite, always working hard, practicing Christianity as her father was a preacher, and the story leads the reader to believe that God does not forget the faithful.