In Zora Neale Hurston's short story "Sweat," Delia's inaction at the end, as she hears Sykes suffering, is primarily driven by a complex mixture of shock and fear rather than revenge. Throughout the story, Delia, a hardworking laundress, endures a toxic and abusive marriage with Sykes, whose cruelty escalates into the symbolic use of the rattlesnake. In the climax of the narrative, as Sykes suffers from a bite inflicted by his own cruel machinations, Delia feels a profound sense of shock—shocked not only by the violent turn of events but also by her own emotional response to his plight. Hurston writes, “She did not move. The sickening sickness of the bear left her clean’’, indicating that Delia is paralyzed by a combination of disbelief and a deep-seated fear rather than a desire for retribution.
Her initial reaction is one of detachment; she can scarcely comprehend the chaos unfolding around her. Part of her fear is rooted in the potential consequences of Sykes's suffering on their already tumultuous relationship, suggesting that she is not driven by vengeance, but rather by a survival instinct. The story is structured into seven distinct parts, laying out Delia’s struggles: from her daily labor (Part 1) to the oppressive environment created by Sykes (Parts 2 and 3), culminating in the tension surrounding the snake (Parts 4 and 5). Ultimately, in the final part (Part 7), when Sykes meets his fate, Delia’s inability to act underscores her emotional turmoil and the profound impact of abuse on her psyche, illuminating that her inaction is a defensive posture against the horror she has endured rather than clear-cut revenge.