How and why does Delia Jones change in Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat"?

As Zora Neale Hurston’s story draws to a close, Delia Jones becomes a widow. Her husband, Sykes, dies from a snakebite. After 15 years of marriage to this abusive man, Delia had almost resigned herself to his emotional torment and physical beatings. The combination of Sykes’s flagrant affair with Bertha, whom he threatens to bring into Delia's home, and his tormenting her with a huge rattlesnake prove too much to bear. Along with her faith that Sykes would get what he deserved, Delia had resolved to change her situation. The snake did what she could not.

The story’s third-person narrator initially presents Delia as sad and fearful; they mention Delia’s mournful singing and her terror of snakes, which Sykes exploits. Delia is portrayed as having “thin, stooped shoulders” and being habitually meek. Despite having a “poor little body,” she proves capable of standing up to Sykes’s “strapping hulk.” The moment she seizes a heavy iron skillet is a turning point. The narrator indicates that Delia would defend herself from the blows he often inflicted on her. They have been married fifteen years, and he had first beaten her only two months into their marriage.

Delia is a religious woman, and she concludes that divine justice will solve her problems: “Sykes, like everybody else, is going to reap his sowing.” She develops a “triumphant indifference” to his emotional and physical abuse. Delia struggles to be indifferent, however, to the town gossip about Sykes’s mistress, Bertha.

Delia reaches another turning point when Sykes brings a rattlesnake to their home. His stated purpose was to terrify her, and he refuses her entreaties to remove it. With this action, he has killed her “insides:” her tolerance is exhausted.

After Delia tells him that he must leave the house, which she owns, she sees the snake has moved into the laundry basket. She remains passive, but relies on her faith to solve the problem, reasoning that she has done everything she could: “If things ain’t right, Gawd knows tain’t my fault.” Later that night, the snake bites Sykes. Although she feels sick about it, she makes no move to help him.

As the other educators have pointed out, Delia is no longer the cowering wife of previous years. As the story progresses, she becomes more vocal, defiant, and courageous. She also changes in other ways.

For example, she decides that she will no longer let Sykes' taunting, cruel words hurt her. Instead of taking to heart everything he says, she decides to adopt an attitude of indifference.

When Sykes threatens her, Delia ignores him. We see evidence of this change in Delia when Sykes gets into bed and kicks her. Despite his rude words, she refuses to engage him in a pointless argument. At this point, Delia sees little reason to respond to a man who will never love her.

Another change in Delia is physical in nature. The text tells us that Delia was once young and "soft." She had brought love to the union and trusted that Sykes did the same. However, Sykes' abusive behavior over a number of years has wreaked havoc on her happiness. Her once-girlish figure has been replaced with the taut, muscled limbs of a working woman. Additionally, her hands are no longer soft; instead, they are rough and show the effects of years of hard labor.

Since Sykes always spends his earnings on drink and other women, Delia must work to sustain the needs of the household. The text tells us that Delia has singularly provided for the household for fifteen years.

No one is more surprised than Sykes at the changes in Delia. He is shocked that Delia is planning on staying put in the house. For her part, Delia has no intentions of turning her home over to Sykes and his newest lover.

Sykes is also stunned at Delia's admission that she hates him with abiding intensity. At the story's end, Delia prevails, and it is indeed she who stays and Sykes who must leave (through death).

In "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston, how does Delia's character change?

Delia Jones has been abused by her husband since the beginning of her marriage.  In “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston,   a woman strikes back against her oppressively harsh husband.  Finally, he pushes her one step too far.

Delia is a sensitive, hardworking woman who washes clothes for the white people in a nearby town. She takes great pride in her work.   Delia lives in an all-black town called Eatonville, Florida.  She goes to church and comes home and works.  Her work week begins after church on Sunday.  On the other hand, her husband Sykes does not work.

Often, he degrades her job which provides the money for the house that they live in.  Suddenly, tired of his verbal abuse, Delia screams at Sykes reminding him about how hard she works.  To emphasize her point, she picks up an iron skillet from the stove with the intention of striking him.  This shocks Sykes because his wife is normally non-aggressive. 

Sykes squires his mistress around town and humiliates Delia.  He wants Delia out of the house, so he can move his lover into the home.  Sykes knows Delia’s greatest fear is snakes. He will use this as the ploy to try to get rid of his wife any way that he can. 

Sykes begins by wrapping a bullwhip around the neck of Delia.  This scares her because it looks like a snake.  Later, he comes in telling Delia that he has gotten something for her.  It is a rattlesnake in a wire cage.  Sykes has fed it, so it is not moving.  Delia tells him to get it out of the house; however, he refuses saying that it is his pet.

The snake stays for three days.  Finally, Delia gives Sykes a warning.  When she gets back from church, the snake needs to be gone, or she will tell the white folks about it. When Delia comes home, the snake is gone.  Delia is relieved until she goes in to sort the clothes to wash.  There she finds the snake placed in one of her wash tubs by Sykes.

Delia runs from the house and waits in the yard.  Late in the night, Sykes comes home.  He gets rid of the snake’s cage.  He goes into the house making a lot of noise.  The snake bites him several times.  Delia does not help Sykes.  There is really nothing that she can or will do to help him.

Through the incidences concerning the snake, Delia attains an empowerment. Delia represents all women who face the hardship of living with an abusive spouse.  It took her many years to stand up against him.  When she threatens Sykes, surprisingly he had to use an outside force to hurt her.  He wanted her dead but with impunity. The table is turned on Sykes:

She saw him on his hands and knees as soon as she reached the door.  He crept an inch or two toward her—all that he was able, and she saw his horribly swollen neck and his one open eye shining with hope. ...she waited in the growing heat while inside she knew the cold river was creeping up and up to extinguish the eye…

Now the reader knows that she will survive.   Sykes will not survive, and it is because of the choices that he made.  After all the years of emotional and physical abuse, Delia will go on and prosper through her spirituality and determination.  Nothing will hold her back now.