How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
[…] humming a song in a mournful key, but wondering through it all where Sykes, her husband, had gone with her horse and buckboard. (2)
It's Sunday night—do you know where your husband is? Well, if you're Delia you can probably take a wild guess that Sykes is up to no good. The fact that she wonders where her husband is, and that he's taken her horse and her buckboard, shows us that this marriage is pretty light on trust.
Quote #2
"If you such a big fool dat you got to have a fit over a earth worm or a string, Ah don't keer how bad Ah skeer you." (6)
Thanks, hubby! Here, Sykes reasons that because Delia is scared of his bullwhip, she deserves the shock. This sort of attitude and action add fuel to the flames of his bad guy status—and not the cool leather-jacket motorcycle-riding bad guy, either. We're talking the ugly, lazy, and angry dude that nobody really wants to deal with.
Quote #3
His wife gave a little scream of dismay, and quickly gathered [the clothes] together again. (14)
Why does Sykes come home and kick his wife's work around? We think it's a pretty telling action of his character. He doesn't respect his wife or her work and is probably intimidated by the fact that she's the real man of the house (i.e. breadwinner).