Delia’s Dynamic Diversity

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says that it will remain in the house. He then place it in the kitchen where Delia does the vast majority of her work. Nonetheless, bringing in the snake wasn’t onlyto panic Delia however Sykes needs her to go out so he can live with Bertha, the “sidechick” This can be seen when he says, "Dat’s a decent snake and anyone doan lak ’im family jes’ hit de coarseness" (Hurston 3). This clarifies why Sykes is so persistent on having the snake in the house. Regardless, Delia keeps living in the house while maintaining distance from where the snake is kept. Sykes then puts the snake in the basket where Delia puts the clothes to be washed. When Delia realizes she runs out of the house and goes to sleep in the barn yard. Sykes came back and was looking for a light which should have been in the matchbox, but it wasn’t. The snake then had a chance to pounce out on him and bite him. This was indeed the revenge for Delia since the snake that should have bit her bit him. Sykes called for help but Delia did even think about helping him.

Zora Neale Hurston uses this story as a platform to explore the plight of African American women in marriages in the 1920’s. The message of the story is based on oppression, infidelity and physical abuse in marriage. To conclude, Sykes’ actions prove to be fatal. The snake that he brought to scare his wife bites and kills him, a fate that could have been prevented if he had been good to his wife. If their marriage had been better, Delia would have warned Sykes about the snake and he would not have died. In the end, Delia gets her revenge when Sykes dies from the poisonous bite. Delia believes that a person usually is paid for their actions. She discloses, “Whatever goes over the Devil’s back, is got to come under his belly”.

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