Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat! (18)
With these lines from "Sweat," we completely understand and sympathize with Delia Jones. She seems to have the worst life ever, full of endless manual labor, physical exhaustion, abuse and tears. Her only salvation is going to church, and even if you're not the praying type, we can all appreciate how it makes Delia's life a bit easier. Hey, if we were with Sykes, we might become churchgoers ourselves.
Questions About Suffering & Struggle
- Why does Delia continue to suffer with Sykes? Why not let him go?
- How could Delia ease her suffering besides divorcing Sykes?
- Do you think Delia would suffer more or less as a single woman?
- What other characters demonstrate suffering and struggle, if any?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
To reach salvation, one has to first go through a long period of suffering.
Delia becomes a better person as a result of her struggle in life.