Ti- Jean and His Brothers

Sightings:
 Conventional Three Act Structure preceded by Prologue drawn from Greek
Classical Drama: Greek, African and West Indian
 It is an allegory, folk fable and frame narrative
SETTING:
 Set and Design- relates to the set which is a hut on an island mountain that
overlooks a forest
 Actions on stage were left to the imagination of the audience.
 Lighting- used to symbolize characters, condition, etc.
 Used when certain events in the play take place.
 Language- the devil is the only one that uses standard English throughout the
play.
It uses chronic devices:
 Sound Effects – are executed throughout music and musical instruments and
other rely on offstage effects.

Prologue:
Functions of the Prologue:
 Introduces characters, setting, themes, conflicts
 Introduces conflicts/ plot
 Contextualizes the action of the play.
Contrasts:
House- warm, protection, poverty (barren table symbolizes poverty)
Forest- cold, dangerous, life and vitality

Characters:
 Papa Bois – Protector of the Forest
 Devil – Appears in different forms: one of which is Papa Bois
 Ti-Jean – Youngest son
 Mi-Jean – Middle son
 Gros-Jean – Biggest son (Eldest)
Gros- Jean:
 Oldest
 Strong
 Often used as a reference to call someone stupid ( represents “brawny past slave
generation who succumbs to everything with their iron fists – cant master)
Mi- Jean: Prologue: To introduce the folk fable,
Walcott employs a variety of forest
 Middle son
creatures (Cricket, Frog, Firefly and
 Book smart but not street smart
Bird). The play opens w/ singing and has
 Self-taught fool a spirited mood as the Frog recounts the
 Represents the elitist middle class values. story of Ti-Jean’s triumph over the Devil.
Ti-Jean
 Represents today’s generation. He derives what the evil commands him in any
form it appears.
 Youngest son
 Smartest
 Brave
 Curious
Bolom:
 The foetus of an aborted child
 Therefore, symbolizes abandoned human potential.

NB: A post-colonial reading of the bolom posits that he is the offspring of black mothers
and white colonial slave owners. The bolom is an ostracized outcast existing in a slave of
in betweeners and claimed by neither black nor white. Additionally, eclectic mixing pot
of ethnicities, races and values.

Themes; Stage Directions:

- Reveals the setting of the play

 Colonialization
- Introduces the chorus and the mother
 Poverty
(characters) and hints at the theme of
 Good vs Evil poverty
Conflicts: - Add to characterizations; how Gros-Jean
walks, how creatures react
 Devil vs Children - Show how music/ props are used.
 Children vs Children
NB: Walcott uses the animals (the frog) as
narrators to enhance the play

It is a Tragic Comedy
ACT 1
 Gros Jean is leaving the hut. The mother is alert about the things that happen in
her house.
 The mother is losing another male in her life: their father and grandfather
 Gros Jean has ambition – going out to make money. He is proud, physical
strength, fearless (iron arm) – where his strength lies.
 “The arm which digs a grave, is the strongest arm of all” – foreshadowing Gros-
Jean’s death
 Mother’s advice- characteristics of her; loving and caring
 Gros-Jean’s pride that leads to his demise
 Simile – “Your grandfather, your father, Their muscles like brown rivers”
  Contrast – The grandfather and the father – brown rivers but now they are being
eaten by ants (Strong but now weak)
 Number of mother’s advice - Gros Jean not listening to her (he did not listen to
her)
 Gros Jean – hard of hearing ; cause of his own demise
 Mother is wise
 Met Papa Bois – The keeper of the forest; he has one hoof-wears a skirt to hide
it ;The devil disguises himself as Papa Bois
 The planter - the devil disguises himself as him
 Mother told Gros Jean about the animals and imitate them; follow them
 Music change – mood and pace – Gros Jean singing
 Animals ready to guide him - Confident, peace and his
 Foreshadow: his singing “…. And go to the grave me one!” readiness
 Papa Bois – creep, morbid - He ignores the animals;
-he was expecting Gros jean to pass CHARACTERIZE : ‘ he kicks
-his language and what he says – talks at death the frog even though it
-he is wise; knows things to twist Gros Jean’s ideas tries to help him
 Flesh rots, iron rusts – wont always have his strength - He is arrogant and
– Gros Jean – Papa Bois towards Gros Jean incesitive
 Gros Jean had a choice – to choose wisely - He is very basic – interms
 Devil has an advantage – more information of language skills
 White man(white house) – colonization: alluding to colonization; slavery
 Gros Jean – completed all the tasks
- Not so intellectually stupid
 Planter is the devil in disguise
 One of them has to get angry, either Gros Jean or the Devil. The devil made Gros
Jean angry and this resulted in the devil eating Gros Jean
 The Devil kept calling him a different name. The Devil “took away his identy” by
calling him a different name everytime.

HISTORY: Gros Jean would be a field slave – submissive: dedicated to his work

NOTES:
 Gros Jean: represents the enslaved, denied education and exploited by his master
for his physical strength. He does not think on his own and does not take advice.

Conflict: Gros Jean/ Planter (Man vs Evil)

Themes: Deception, Good vs. Evil, Identity

ACT 2
Props: Net – Mi Jean’s profession: fisherman
Cross – Gros Jean
 Mother – imitate the animals: gave advice to Mi Jean (same advice she gave to
Gros Jean)
 Dancing – choric nature of the play
 Animals were trying to get Mi – Jean’s attention: Bird – trying to get his attention
- Mi Jean insults the bird.
 Mi Jean feels that he is better than the animals; (says something about his
character
 Mi Jean ignores his mother’s advice.
 Frog asks if Mi Jean is going to die – be with Gros Jean -- foreshadowing his death
 We can conclude that Mi Jean can understand animals
 Mi Jean “ Gros Jean was one man, I is a next, Frog” – tries to prove he is different
from his brother.
 IRONY - ironic as he is going to be used by the devil in the same way and die
also.
 Bird; “Mi Jean, Mi Jean…” – his brother is dead and buried and is informing Mi
Jean of his own fate.
 Mi Jean shows no remorse for his own brother when he saw Gros Jean’s grave
 “… a little heap” – earth dug grave
 They know that Papa bois is the devil in disguise – the animals
 Both Mi Jean and Gros Jean disregard the animals - Walcott draws from
 Mi Jean “When my mother told me goodbye in tears, she said fairytales and fantasy
no one can know what the Devil wears” – he is trying to take in where animals speak
what his mother told him – gave thought about what his - CHARACTER TRAITS:
Mi Jean: Proud
mother said about the devil
- Philosopher – very
 Papa Bois is trying to get him to talk to him – persuade Mi Jean
opinionated but very
- Playing off his weakness and his strength: his intellectual
knowledgeable.
mind
- Mi Jean wants to
 Fear – one of Mi – Jean’s weakness
become a captain
-he was weary and a lawyer
- Mi Jean did not make
 The song is intended for the audience the connection to
 Mi Jean is educated but intellectually stupid/ foolish Papa Bois and the
Eg: the cowfoot that Papa Bois has Devil – Mi-Jean
 Papa bois engaging him in conversation – bringing him away looking in his book
from what his mother said. under “ Religion” for
 Mi Jean is sexist; he thinks that men are superior women man with cowfoot/
 Mi Jean believes in the Devil because his mother is experienced. hoof
(he isn’t sure)
 Dramatic Irony – Mi Jean doesn’t know that Papa Bois is the devil but the
audience knows.
- Mi Jean is convinced that Papa Bois isn’t the devil – the description of the
devil doesn’t match with Papa Bois.
 Mi Jean knows that he loves to debate and argue so by keeping silent and smile is
the opposite of what the devil is expecting. (this is how he is going to defeat the
devil)
 Song – strategy of what he is going to do to beat the devil
 “Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” – IRONIC:
- Because he is going to “fight” the devil which is evil itself
- First stanza – speak no evil
- Second stanza – see no evil Talks about each and then all at the end
- Third stanza – hear no evil
  Mi Jean tried to play off his weakness (not being able to speak/ debate) instead
of his strength (speaking)
 Planter is an allusion to slavery. The devil is compared to the planter – just as evil
because they would abuse slaves.
 THEME: GOOD VS EVIL
 Mi Jean is already defeated because he revealed his strategy to the Devil.
 Mi Jean is not a practical person.
 The Devil uses the goat to get to Mi Jean knowing that he is not good at manual
labour
 Gros Jean go the same work as Mi Jean
 He is testing Mi Jean’s patience
 The Devil is using sarcasm to tease Mi Jean – “I admire your cherry persistence,
…” and the last line. He uses legal words that a lawyer would use to mock Mi Jean
who wants to be a lawyer.
 The goat was annoying Mi Jean causing him to be frustrated
 Mi Jean gave up on the goat because he couldn’t keep things under control.
 Mi Jean is caught now by the devil and is very angry – he is speaking and
expressing himself. Mi Jean is angry at the goat – but because the goat is viewed
as the Planter and uses legal terms (The Devil uses) to see that the goat and the
planter are viewed as one. So if Mi Jean is angry at the goat then he is angry at the
Planter and the planter is Devil.
 Also the planter compares the goat and Mi Jean and says that they are equal (this
kinda goes back to racism and the white people calling black people animals)

IRONY: The least experience is the wisest

ACT 3 – usually it is the eldest that is the wisest
be of more experience. Ti Jean (the
 The frog opens and closes the play
youngest) - Gros Jean (the oldest)
 SETTING: it is dawn and they are in the forest
The Devil is outside the hut
The graves (Mi Jean and Gros Jean) are there: representation by the
two crosses.
 Ti Jean – INNOCENCE (in his mother’s eyes) – too you to leave. “You are hardly a
man….”
- He has to go because they are very poor – must work
 Every brother has a purpose: Mi Jean wants to be a sea captain and a lawyer and
Gros Jean wants riches.
 All of them got advice (same) from his mother: Ti Jean listened to his mother –
listen to the animals; beware of the old man
 Ti Jean is “nice” to the animals – wasn’t disrespectful.
 The boy (Ti Jean) knew the Devil before (his mother’s advice, finding evidence,
the animals). Also his faith in God
 Asking for prayer – belief in God. Ti Jean. Ti Jean any tool he could get for
protection.
 Ti Jean was ready for the Devil – to defeat him
 CARIBBEAN IDENTITY - religion and faith in God
 Ti Jean draws knowledge from things and people around him – Devil didn’t know
how to get to him
  Mi Jean and Gros Jean: spoke about how they were going to defeat the devil
(proud and boastful)
 Devil realised that Ti Jean found out about who he really was
 Ti Jean was really troublesome and mischievous
 They all got the same three tasks.
 Creatures help Ti Jean by ticking off the Devil
 The bird opened the sticks
TASKS: all brothers did three only Ti Jean did two (bundle)
 The creatures sticked out to
 Tie up the goat
help Ti Jean – “If you need our
 Count leaves and canes
help, call us…”
 Catch fireflies
HOW TO MAKE THE DEVIL ANGRY (Ti Jean style)
 Ti Jean castrates the goat – no longer a ‘man’ (no longer robust and fast, now in
pain and behaves)
 Ti Jean burns the canefield
 The chorus – agrees and burns the fields: they don’t get pay  Bolom: ball of evil at
 Ti Jean: Slavery to Emancipation first
Gros Jean: strong slaves  The devil cannot feel
Mi Jean: knowledgeable slaves
Ti Jean: ended it
 He curries the goat
 He burns down the Devil’s House

 ALLUSION: Devil talking about “The son of the morning star – bright brilliant”
Morning Star - In the bible before he was known as Satan, Lucifer was
an angel – the highest and the brightest one. Loved by God dearly once.
 The Devil is delighted – he is feeling fear, hunger and anger…..this is how humans
feel.
 IRONY: the devil is calling on God – humans calling on a greater power/ being for
help
 He is reflecting: reminiscing and a little bit nostalgic (bc he is able to feel)}
biblical allusion
 Devil – probably not liking what he is feeling
 Devil is overwhelmed – not per say drunk
- He can’t be bothered
- Confusing to him: him using the mask to push down his actual feelings
He started drinking because he was frustrated to Ti Jean – he was feeling
emotions
 “Leaning on everlasting arms” – the devil sings – METAPHOR for Jesus
 BIBLICAL ALLUSION – when Lucifer was cast out, 1/3 of the angels followed him.
- He wanted to be God
- He doesn’t want to be second: he wants to rule – ruler in hell
(firefly light his way home – Hell)
 The Devil telling humans emotions/ The devil starts to fell human
 How did Ti Jean defeat the Devil – DISOBEDIENCE
 The devil’s house burning – METAPHOR to Hell (how it is associated with fire/ a
lot of fire in Hell)
 “I won’t tell the ole fellow with the big book” – METAPHOR to God
 The Devil is nice to Ti Jean – ‘inviting him into his home”
  “An old beared” – METAPHOR to God
 The Devil is angry – Ti Jean is winning
 GOOD VS EVIL: Good – Mother and Ti Jean (humble, faithful, godly,
holy) ;Evil – Devil
 The Devil never plays fair
 The brothers are in hell
 SIMILE: “I’m scared as Christ” – effect. Christ was never scared so he is saying he
isn’t scared.
 The Devil is crying – he feels for Ti Jean’s deep sadness
 Ti Jean did not have a choice behind the bolom and the brothers.
 “The features will change but the fight will go on” – APPERANCE VS REALITY
(THEME) (disguises himself in different forms – Devil)
 FRAME NARRATIVE: a story within a story
 THE FROG ENDS THE PLAY
THEMES:
 Family and Relationships – the mother
 Appearance vs Reality
 Poverty
 Good vs Evil