Mirth (noun): gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter.
Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online).
Sweat by Zora N. Hurston is about a couple whose relationship is falling apart. Sykes, the husband, messes with his wife, Delia all the time and abuses her. One day he throws a whip on her shoulder. She get frightened by the shape of it because at a fast glance it looks just like a snake. He knows she fears them which is why he threw it at her in the first place. At that moment, he laughs because he finds it amusing. Hence, Hurston’s use of the word mirth.
Diana Galvez
