In “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston, Delia Jones is a hardworking, dedicated, and mistreated black woman living in the state of Florida. She had just worked what was once again, a long and hard day. Delia was a wash-woman at heart and she very much dedicated herself to it and took pride in her job. (Sweat reading) Delia’s self-determination is described as her determination to do her job well. She uses an extremely tedious manner to do her job and not only support herself but ALSO her no good husband. How more determined can you get? She takes beating after beating from her husband and still manages to support and do her job well. This woman needs no man because she is an independant woman. Sykes, her husband, does nothing but kick her clothes around and create more work for the woman that he “loves”. (Shmoop Editorial Team) As Delia is getting home one night she is making her way into the dark house when something falls from a shelf that …show more content…
Self-determination, self-expression, and self-definition were three things that were found a lot in this time. African Americans showed their determination to push through slavery and segregation and to bring about a time where blacks begin to more and more find themselves as a people. They were determined to come out on top and to show their perseverance through all of the rough times they went through. African Americans also expressed themselves through things such as The Blues and Jazz. These things allowed for Harlem to seem to have become the center for entertainment in the United States. And its forerunner was none other than…. African Americans. Blacks had finally found themselves as a whole people just as Delia Jones did. Through song and dance blacks were able to expand their culture in the United States and spread their way of life throughout. This time was known as the “New Negro