Identity In Redbelt

Delia suffered from mental and physical abuse from her husband. Sykes had previously beaten Delia, “He done beat huh ‘nough tuh kill three women, let ‘lone change they looks.”(Hurston 280). The story starts with Delia in the kitchen sorting clothes when Sykes scares her with his whip. “You know it would skeer me – looks just like a snake, an’ you knows how skeered Ah is of snakes.”(Hurston 277). The whip is a symbol of evil and the masculine oppression the Delia has to deal with throughout the story. “She saw that Sykes had kicked all of the clothes together again, and now stood in her way truculently, his whole manner hoping, praying for an argument.”(Hurston 278). The white clothes that Delia is washing represent her pureness and Sykes kicking them and dirtying them up signifies his abusiveness towards Delia. Sykes lives his life to torment Delia, further showing his evilness. However, Delia’s strong religious believes keep her in the abusive adultery relationship, though she is looking for a way out.

Sam’s name is cleared after Tibbs discovers that Sam could not have been driving two different cars at the same time. Tibbs acts on his instincts and finds the abortionist that Delores was going to. The abortionist tells Tibbs that someone else paid for the abortion; Tibbs pursues Delores outside for more questioning. The killer, who is the man from the diner that refused Tibbs, Henshaw, confronts Tibbs. With impeccable timing, Purdy’s gang shows up and holds Tibbs at gunpoint. Tibbs proves to Purdy that Henshaw got Delores pregnant, not Sam. The tables-turns and Purdy attacks Henshaw, but Henshaw kills Purdy in self-defense. Henshaw confesses to his crime and said he never meant to kill Colbert and only wanted to rob him for money for Delores’ abortion. The story

Discovering Identity Ones identity is a crucial aspect of their lives as without it, people tend to fall off track. In Ottawas' Red Path, narrator Tony Chachai tells the story of how he discovered his identity through discovering the culture of his dancing. The emotional appeal is shown through his story of health and substance abuse problem, logic to enhance the story of how he lost himself and then gained it back, and the credibility of his story is demonstrated as pieces of Native American heritage was on display throughout the short film. In the first scene (0:10-1:25), Ottawa appeals to the emotions as Tony Chachai shares his wishes to have grown up around his culture.

“Red Candle” centers around Lindo’s sacrifice and filial obligations. Lindo is forced into an arranged marriage with a boy named Tyan-yu. Despite being opposed to this marriage, she endures this loveless marriage in order to defend her family’s honor. She realizes that the marriage would not destroy her identity, and it is with honor that she leaves the marriage. “I would always remember my parents' wishes, but I would never forget myself” (58). On the night of her wedding, Lindo makes a realization about herself. She realizes that she does not need to abandon her identity despite her new family trying to strip her identity from her. Lindo still has independent thinking which cannot be taken away from her even if it is disguised under a veil of obedience and submissiveness.

He is very abusive towards his wife and takes advantage of Delia’s hard work by spending her money on Bertha, his lover. He doesn’t go to church with Delia, and makes fun of her attending church and washing clothes and continuously makes verbal threats towards her throughout the story.

Delia represents the good in the story. She remains calm, level-headed, and spiritually in tune despite her husband‘s determination to make her miserable. Once a "right pretty li'l trick," Delia is now worn and dried out like sugar cane that's been chewed to no end (“Sweat” 43). However her soul remains strong as she turns to her spirituality for comfort and hope. She has smarts although uneducated and the fact that she built her own house and now supports her and her husband by washing white

One theme in the story is physical and emotional abuse. Delia is quite often trying to work or simply minding her own business, when her husband, Sykes decides to pick a verbal fight with

Delia was physically abused many times by her husband, Sykes. He was also mentally and verbally abusive to her by calling her names and constantly teasing her. This can be seen when he pretends to scare Delia with a snake, and then calls her names for being scared. In Zora’s life, this is seen where she also grew up as an abused child from her father. Her father did not like her very much because her sassy attitude. He said that she “was too spirited and too mouthy for her own good” which hurt her feelings and made her very aware that she was not his favorite child in the family (Boyd 27). Her father would also physically abuse her by threatening and spanking her as a child. In the story, Sykes represents Zora’s father because they were both abusive towards women. Zora included this detail in her story to explain her life as a child. The story is put in the perspective of a grown woman who had been abused, but how she would feel the same pain a child would feel who had been abused. No matter the person’s age, anyone

Hurston deliberately labels Sykes as the patriarchal male head of the household. In a typical household a man is labeled as “strong”, “protective, and “decisive” one in the family while a woman is typically “Emotional”, “motherly”, and “submissive” (Hurston 85). Sykes physical and emotional abuse can be seen as an outlet to remain a part of the patriarchal rule in which a man subsides and as an outlet to enforce gender rules within the household. An example of his verbal abuse is “Well you better quit gettin’ me riled up, else they’ll be tottin you out sooner than you expect. Ah’m so tired of you Ah don’t know whut to do! Gawd! How ah hates skinny women!” (Hurston 2). Sykes seems to have no sense of empathy for Delia and continues to physically and emotionally abuse her through violence. He frightens her terribly, condemns her, and doesn’t give one penny to the family. His only concern is keeping her emotionally and physically hurt as he knows that as a woman she is vulnerable.

Although misperceptions about the other gender are dangerous causes of downfall, flawed views among one’s own gender are also great contributors to destruction. Othello and Desdemona best exemplify this notion. Desdemona presents herself as pure, compassionate, and understanding towards everyone, especially Othello. Shakespeare theorizes on how some women believe the stereotype about females is valid and must be followed, and men can exhibit the same

In society the purpose of gender roles is to group people into two opposite categories, men and women. These categories however, encourage toxic masculinity and gender inequality. In movies or books characters tend to fall into one category, when in reality most people don’t fit into just one. Shakespeare explores the idea of conformity and categorization in Macbeth. In Macbeth, the characters conformity to gender roles are the root of all their problems.

He is without doubt a man of high morals which is an important feature of a hero. He agrees to avenge his father even though he almost crushed with the burden. “oh cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right”. It is clear that he does not want to murder but accepts the task nonetheless “I have sworn’t”. He also apologises to

Not only does he drain her financially, but he has also abused her mentally and emotionally for the most of their marriage. Delia reminds Sykes that all she does is "Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and Sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!" from the fifteen years she has been washing laundry and laments (Hurston 278). However, despite all the cruelty that is happening, the author still portrays her persona with great compassion. Delia has enormous love, but soon discovers that she has the capacity to hate as much as she loves which has developed from her long-suffering life with Sykes. The author creates Delia based off her own life of being a Christian woman, therefore, in the story "Sykes is clearly wrong throughout the story, and Delia is right in living out the principles of Christian love, tolerance, and humility" (Banks). The importance of this quote is that it puts Delia's character into perspective and reveals why the way she is. The author's beliefs and practices are demonstrated through Delia and explain her actions in the story.

In Delia’s case she is a women with a job, but even with work she is still powerless to Sykes, her husband. As a woman her freedom is still robbed from her by men’s overpowering force, which

Delia Jones starts off as a healthy religious woman who believes she found the love of her life, but little does she know that she will lose her beloved qualities of freedom. This submissive quality appears two months after their marriage. Considering she has experienced ongoing abuse for fifteen years, Delia has eventually had enough. I say it is because of Sykes’ irony that she develops hatred. Sykes’ selfish demeanor is the cause for Delia’s weak state. He then goes on to humiliate her by saying “Ah 'm so tired of you Ah don 't know whut to do.