7/22/2019 Night Women in Sweat

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In what ways and for what purpose does Hurston use local color, that is the characters, the customs,

rituals, dialects and or setting of the rural south?

In Zora Neal Hurstons Sweat, the author uses the theme of local color to emphasize what the Deep

South was truly like for some people. Delia, the main character, is a hard worker who sweat for a living

with little consolation from her husband, Syke. The dialect is broken, there oughter be a law about him,he aint fit tuh carry guts tuh a bear (358), which symbolizes the lack of education within their

community. The setting takes place in what can be presumably the first all-black community in Florida,

Eatonville, where black people still worked for white people. Delias ability to both stand up for herself

against her husband and her race shows her lack of dependence and her inner strength during a time of

much oppression in the 20s. Yeah you just come from de church house on a Sunday night, but heah is

gon to work on them clothes. (356) is an example of the customs that the characters kept by going to

church on Sunday and treating it as their Sabbath. Hurstons use of local color, aforementioned, depicts

realism in the Deep South.

Throughout the story what is the effect of the first person point of view?

In Edwidge Danticats, Night Women, the author uses a first person narrative to convey the inner

emotions of the nameless woman telling her story. By using first person point of view the reader is able

to connect immensely with the narrator. It also makes it easier to sympathize with her situation, Most

nights, I hear a slight whisper. My body freezes as I wonder how long it would take for him to cross the

curtain and find me. Although there is a life away from prostitution she would prefer to keep her day to

herself. I thank the stars that I at least have the days to myself. From this quote it is understandable

why she decides to continue on as she does; she gets to spend that time with her son. The narrator

shows no animosity to her situation, her son or his father, who is no longer in their lives. The narratorconveys indifference yet seems to be quite imaginative, darling, the angels have themselves a lifetime

to come to us. While she does not come off as educated, giving her living conditions and her line of

work, she does seem to have some sense about what is going on in her life and what she may want for

her and her childs future.