LaTrice Curtis

This short story by Zora Neale Hurston is an excellent example of her writing and the overall talent of the Harlem Renaissance. It was proudly written in dialect during a time when Black writers were still hesitant to use the form because of too many stereotypes about the people who spoke it (sound familiar?). 'Sweat' is the tale of a Black Floridian couple Delia and Sykes, caught in a 15 year-long loveless marriage where Delia worked hard and Sykes used her earnings to take care of a mistress. We find out what happens when karma is swift and smooth. The images of 'Sweat' call forth a womanist/Black feminist picture that was new to literature then, but remains a staple to this day. Hurston did not gain prominence until long after her death, but during the mid 1920s, she was a literary star in her circles. She was one of only a few Black female artists of the time who took a chance on the freedoms the roaring twenties offered. Taking a cue from fellow Harlem Renaissance author Langston Hughes, Hurston avoided a white gaze in her themes and freely explored Black romantic relationships in their rawest forms. She refused the superficial and white-facing facades some Black thinkers thought Black art should be used for. Hurston wrote for, to and about Black people and their sensibilities. 'Sweat' is a must read for fans of the Harlem Renaissance, Black literature, early 20th century American literature, women-centered stories, and plain old good writing. Alice Walker reintroduced the reading world to Hurston in the 1970s. Many Walker fans will appreciate 'Sweat' and other Hurston works, taking note of similar characterization, setting, and plot.