In "Sweat," the conflict between Delia and Sykes serves as a religious allegory representing the battle between good and evil. Delia embodies the strength and resilience of the human spirit, while Sykes represents the forces of evil and oppression.
While the conflict between Sykes and Delia symbolizes the battle between sin and virtue, there is a second struggle that occurs within Delia's mind. Delia is a hardworking, honest, and God-fearing woman who feels that she is constantly being tested by "Satan," while her husband, Sykes, attempts to undermine her goodwill and cause her to sin. "Sweat" depicts a woman who is constantly facing an internal battle between her own moral commitments and the hatred and despair prompted by her husband's actions.
The story allegorically draws on the story of Eve and the serpent in the Book of Genesis. However, while in the story of Genesis the serpent convinces Eve to transgress, and Eve, in turn, convinces Adam to do the same, the order is reversed in "Sweat"—Sykes, the husband, draws his wife into sin by bringing the snake into their home. Although Delia knows that she could alert her husband to the snake's presence, or assist him when he gets bitten, she chooses not to—thereby making herself complicit in his death.
Both Sykes and the snake represent evil. Sykes refers to the snake as "ol' satan," and the snake's devilish character reflects upon Sykes, its owner. By bringing the snake into Delia's home, Sykes undermines Delia's stability and destroys her last hope of safety, putting her on the path toward sinful action. After Sykes scares her by throwing his snake-like whip at her, Delia thinks to herself:
Oh well, whatever goes over the Devil's back, is got to come under his belly. Sometime or ruther, Sykes, like everybody else, is gointer reap his sowing.
By the end of the story, Delia gives in to her hatred for her husband, choosing not to warn Sykes about the presence of the snake in their bedroom. While she has failed to remain steadfast in the face of temptation, Delia blames Sykes for her own sinful action, just as Adam blamed Eve for his. She reasons:
Well, Ah done de bes' Ah could. If things ain't right, Gawd knows taint ma fault.
In this way, the story simultaneously acknowledges Delia's moral failure while also subtly inviting readers to excuse—or at least understand—her decision not to help her husband, whose cruelty drove her to extremes.
