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Irony
Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Key Examples in Sweat
Metaphors
Explanation and Analysis—Jordan River :
Throughout "Sweat," Hurston uses biblical imagery to develop central themes in her characters' lives. One such image is that of the Jordan River, which the Israelites crossed when leaving the wilderness and entering into the Promised Land. The Jordan River serves as both an allusion and a metaphor—while it alludes to the biblical Jordan, it also metaphorically represents a crossing from the world of the living to that of the dead.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Power of Sweat:
The central metaphor of "Sweat" is presented in its title. In Hurston's short story, sweat metaphorically represents the toil and hardship that the protagonist, Delia, endures throughout her marriage. In particular, Delia's sweat symbolizes the emotional and physical toll that her marriage takes. In the story's first scene, Delia uses the metaphor of sweat to describe the labor and exhaustion that have defined her life:
Unlock with LitCharts A+"Looks hear, Sykes, you done gone too fur. Ah been married to you fur fifteen years, and Ah been takin' in washin' fur fifteen years. Sweat, sweat, sweat! Work and sweat, cry and sweat, pray and sweat!"
Related Themes:
