Final answer:
In 'Their Eyes Were Watching God,' Joe hits Janie to maintain control. In 'Sweat,' Delia endures Sykes's abuse due to societal pressures but eventually stands up to him, leading to Sykes's death by snakebite, from which Delia refrains from saving him.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Joe Starks commits an act of domestic violence against his wife Janie by publicly belittling and eventually slapping her in an attempt to assert his authority and control over her. This occurs during a moment when Janie speaks out of turn, according to Joe's expectations, which challenges his dominance.
Delia, in the short story Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston, stays with her abusive husband Sykes due to a combination of societal expectations, fear, economic dependence, and a sense of duty. The community members in the story react to Sykes's treatment of Delia with disapproval, yet they remain largely bystanders rather than interveners. Delia's encounter with the bullwhip, which she at first mistakes for a snake, foreshadows the danger Sykes will later bring into their home with a real snake. When Delia finally asserts herself and tells Sykes to leave, he is initially stunned and does not carry out his threats immediately, likely due to his surprise at Delia's newfound courage and his realization of her serious demeanor.
Ultimately, when Delia has the opportunity to save Sykes from dying from a snakebite, she chooses not to intervene. She has reached a point where she is no longer willing to sacrifice her own well-being for him. Whether Delia will have regrets about her decision is left to the reader's interpretation, but her actions indicate a complete departure from the passive tolerance of abuse she previously endured.