The tree in this scene symbolizes new life. This is where the theme shifts from oppression in marriage to one of freedom, where good finally triumphs over evil. Over the past fifteen years, Delia has had to endure all of his relentless abuse, but now she has the power over him. He crawls to her and begs her to help him end his suffering, but she has no mercy left in her. The Chinaberry is what separates his new life from the old, painful one, located inside the house, where "the cold river [rises] higher and higher" (Hurston 630). Delia's life is not over; he is about to be reborn. Although she can't do anything to help Sykes since the doctors won't arrive in time and she's too afraid of the snake to go inside, she mostly decides to stay outside because she is horrified at the idea that Sykes returns to torment. her for the rest of her life. Delia is finally free from her abusive husband. Without a doubt, Hurston's use of symbolism allows readers to identify with the main themes of oppression and freedom in the story "Sweat." Symbols such as the clothing, the title, and the tree help imagine how women in the 1900s, including Delia, faced this cruel treatment and how they felt. This middle-aged woman,