Sweat

by Zora Neale Hurston

Sweat: Setting 1 key example

Definition of Setting

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:

"Sweat" is set in Eatonville, Florida in the early 20th century. Though Hurston does not explicitly name Eatonville as the setting for this story, it's clear that it takes place in a small central Florida town that is widely accepted to be the same town in which Hurston set her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God—which is explicitly set in Eatonville. The town, which was one of the first incorporated all-Black towns in the United States, plays a significant role in Zora Neale Hurston's writing. Eatonville was a safe haven for Black people during a time when racism and violence were rampant, providing a sense of community and belonging. Hurston herself lived in Eatonville for a time, and she used it as the setting for many of her stories.