Essay Questions

What could be one of the reasons why Sykes, in the story "Sweat’’, has trouble finding work?

When the Civil War ended, the slaves who once worked on cotton plantations were freed by their masters. These men and women who spent all their lives until then had a hard time finding a job which could earn them enough money to sustain themselves and their families. It is also important to know how many former slaves remained close to the farms where they worked while being slaves, and because they lived in a rural area, their options were even more limited. The jobs made available to former slaves often included hard physical jobs which even the poorest whitest would refuse to do. Some former slaves were employed by their former masters and continued to live and work the lands. Those who had no outstanding skill, would often find themselves in a tough situation, especially since the number of working hands was much lower than the number of available people for the work. Because of this, many were forced to work what they could just to scrape by. It is implied in the story that the reason why Sykes was not working is because he found nowhere to work. This may be the reason why Sykes slowly became a bitter and cruel man towards his wife who, despite having a tough and demanding job, was the only breadwinner in the house.

Who is John in the story "High John de Conquer"?

John de Conquer is a popular figure form the African folklore, mention most commonly by the African people who were sold into slavery in America. According to the stories, John was an African prince, an extremely incredible man who was captured and sold into slavery as well. John was sent to the new world, were he was sold over and over again. Despite being made a slave, John never yielded to the whims of the cruel masters and instead used his wit and his intelligence to escape from hardships over and over again. The story of John the Conquer was repeated over and over again by the African slaves in America who saw him as a symbol of resilience. They saw John as an example and many tried to emulate his behavior and not let themselves be broken by the cruel white masters. Thus, in essence, the story of John the Conquer is one of hope, helping those in captivity to keep on going and to never give up.

Explain the title of the story "The Gilded Six-Bits’’

The title is a reference made to the money left behind by Otis after sleeping with Missie May. The coins left behind represent Missie May’s betrayal and fornication while the time when Joe hold onto the coins represent the resentments felt by him. The term "gilded’’ is used in this story to transmit the sense of something fake and without value. This is a reference made to the coins left behind which were not real gold, but rather only covered in a thin sheet of gold. This could transmit the idea that Missie May’s betrayal may not have been something serious or that she had lied about the true reason why she slept with Otis.