Prompt 01
Essay task
AP LiteratureCommon Core ElaHarlem Renaissance StudiesAmerican Literature
In Zora Neale Hurston's short story Sweat, the protagonist Delia Jones's labor — both physical and emotional — stands as a key symbol of her endurance, identity, and moral authority. Argue that Hurston uses Delia's sweat as a complex symbol to reveal the exploitation at the core of her marriage and to highlight the eventual justice of her liberation.
In your essay, be sure to:
- Introduce a clear, debatable thesis that discusses how sweat operates symbolically throughout the story.
- Analyze at least two to three specific passages where sweat, labor, or toil are present, looking closely at Hurston's word choice, imagery, and narrative perspective.
- Consider how Sykes's disdain for Delia's work contrasts with the community's appreciation of it, and what this contrast reveals about power dynamics and morality in the story.
- Evaluate the ending of the story: does Hurston depict Delia's inaction as justice, complicity, or something more complex? Support your interpretation with textual evidence.
- Conclude by linking your analysis to a broader theme — such as gender, race, labor, or spiritual justice — that is relevant to the Harlem Renaissance context in which Hurston was writing.
Requirements
- Length: 4–6 paragraphs (or as directed by your teacher)
- Must include direct quotations with proper citation
- Avoid plot summary; focus on literary analysis