“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner are stories which explore race relations, gender identities and religious influence in a world where whites rule, men are dominant and religion is an important key in life. Race relations are explored when Delia Jones is stuck doing laundry for the whites in the town. Race relations are also explored when Emily Grierson is required to wear an apron whenever she leaves her house. Gender identities are discussed because in this world men are supposed to be the leader of the house. In “Sweat” Delia is the head of the house because she is the “bread winner” by actually working and owning the house while her husband goes around drinking, cheating, and abusing her. In “A Rose
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Traditionally men are the ones who work the most and earn the most money for the household. In this book, you are able to truly see who is doing the most work-Delia. “What’s it got do with you, Sykes? Mah tub of suds is filled yo’ belly with vittles more times than yo’ hands is filled it. Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it” (Hurston, 2). From this you can tell that Delia is the so called “bread winner” for the family. She works the most in order to pay for food to be put on the table and to pay for the house that they live in. Her husband Sykes doesn’t help out or pay for anything, which causes Delia to actually reverse gender identities with him and take on the role of “the man of the house” and take care of all the problems. “A Rose for Emily” gender identities come up whenever Emily Grierson is left alone because her husband died and she had to come up with money for herself. This is shown in the following: “When she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china-painting” (Faulkner, 5). Because Emily was left alone, she had to come up with a way to make money for herself. She does so by offering to teach people how to paint
Traditionally men are the ones who work the most and earn the most money for the household. In this book, you are able to truly see who is doing the most work-Delia. “What’s it got do with you, Sykes? Mah tub of suds is filled yo’ belly with vittles more times than yo’ hands is filled it. Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin’ in it” (Hurston, 2). From this you can tell that Delia is the so called “bread winner” for the family. She works the most in order to pay for food to be put on the table and to pay for the house that they live in. Her husband Sykes doesn’t help out or pay for anything, which causes Delia to actually reverse gender identities with him and take on the role of “the man of the house” and take care of all the problems. “A Rose for Emily” gender identities come up whenever Emily Grierson is left alone because her husband died and she had to come up with money for herself. This is shown in the following: “When she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china-painting” (Faulkner, 5). Because Emily was left alone, she had to come up with a way to make money for herself. She does so by offering to teach people how to paint