Sykes Jones Timeline and Summary

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Sykes Jones Timeline and Summary

  • At first, Sykes is nowhere to be found, though we do know he's gone off with Delia's horse.
  • 'Honey, I'm home!' Sykes, a real sweetie, puts his bullwhip around Delia's shoulders to scare her. Not cute.
  • He tells Delia, "Ah done tole you time and again to keep them white folks' clothes outa dis house" (8).
  • When she protests, he threatens to throw the clothes out and beat her. Somebody needs to stop this dude.
  • Delia drives Sykes out with an iron skillet but he comes back later at night and says "Ah oughter mash you in yo' mouf fuh drawing dat skillet on me" (28).
  • One day, later in the summer, Sykes shows up at the store with Bertha, his mistress.
  • Sykes tells Bertha to "Git whutsoever yo' heart desires, Honey" (51).
  • A bit later, Sykes brings a rattlesnake home. When Delia begs him to kill it he says, "Nohow he wouldn't risk breakin' out his fangs 'gin yo' skinny laigs" (66).
  • Delia says she hates him and he strikes back: "You cain't hate me no worse dan Ah hates you. Ah been hatin' you fuh years" (81).
  • Sykes leaves, but comes back one day through the kitchen, before dawn.
  • Inside, he can't find a light and there are no matches in the kitchen. He hears the whir of the rattler and jumps on the bed.
  • Sykes gets bit anyways and he moans, "Mah Gawd! […] Mah Gawd fum Heben" (107).
  • He hears Delia close by and cries out to her for help but she doesn't come. What'd he expect?