TI-JEAN & HIS BROTHERS

WHAT IS A PROLOGUE
• A Prologue is a
separate introductory
section of a literary,
dramatic or musical
work.
 THE PROLOGUE
• What is the function of the Prologue?
 Provides background information about
the characters.
 Introduces the setting of the play
 Introduces the main source of conflict in
the play.
 Introduces the theme of the play
BACKGROUND
• We are told that the play
is about three boys who
lived with their mother
in abject poverty in a hut
on the fringes of a
magical forest. We are
also told about the boys’
individual attempts to
take up the Devil’s
challenge.
THE CONFLICT!
• The Devil challenges
the boys to make
him feel anger,
compassion or any
kind of human
emotion for a
reward, while their
failure to achieve
this end will lead to
the boys’ death.
 The Theme
• "an opinion about life
or human nature or
society that the writer
shares with the reader.“

• In the play one theme is

• FROG

• FIREFLY

• BIRD
 THE ANIMAL NARRATORS
• The play opens with
four animal characters
who are the narrators
of the play.
• They give background
information on the
story as well as
comment on the
current action.
THE CHORUS/ANIMAL NARRATORS
• They also give
views/information
about the human and
supernatural characters
in the play.
 THE ROLE OF MUSIC
FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC IN THE PLAY
1. Characterization: 
Gros Jean performs an
exaggerated march to
music.
• A drum roll and
comic quatro introduce Mi-
Jean.
• The mother is introduced
with “sad music on flute.”
 THE ROLE OF MUSIC
• The mood and music
change again with the
entrance of the devil and
his servants: cymbals,
shrieks, thunder.
• Bolom enters with the
sound of wind, rain and
insects.
• Bolom later imitates the
crying of a child.
 The characters – Gros Jean
• Gros-Jean, the eldest
son is described as
being very stupid
despite his immense
strength. He is full of his
self-importance and has
boundless confidence in
himself. To him, physical
strength is the key to
success.
 Gros Jean
• Gros Jean’s symbol is
his axe which
represents his strength.
• “I have an arm of iron, I
have nothin, I fraid,
man beast or beast-
man. And more quick I
get what I want, more
better.
 Gros Jean
• Gros-Jean refuses
to accept his
mother’s advice,
yet foolishly, later
accepts the advice
of the old man of
the forest whom
he does not know.
 Gros Jean
• He ignores his mother’s
injunction that he should
identify with the other
inhabitants of the forest,
i.e., the bird, the frogs and
the insects, and rather,
acts very disrespectfully
and aggressively towards
them. As a result, when
he later requires their
help, they desert him.
 Gros Jean
• Gros-Jean’s belief in the
strength of his arm is no
match for the white
planter’s cunning and
the latter succeeds in
irritating Gros-Jean to
the point of anger and
frustration and then
devours him.
The characters –Mi Jean
• Mi-Jean is described as
being only half as stupid
as Gros-Jean. He is a
fisherman and his
ambition is to rise from
being a poor fisherman
to becoming a ship
captain and later, a
lawyer.
Mi-Jean
• Mi-Jean feels that in his
encounter with the
Devil, he is protected by
his decision not to be
aggravated into speech.
• He is just as rude to the
animals as his brother
and is confident that he
is too smart to fall for
the Devil’s tricks.
 Mi-Jean
• Mi-Jean is symbolized
by a book. He carries
this book everywhere.
He thinks he is so smart,
that he refuses to listen
to the wisdom of the
animals or his mother.
The characters – Ti-Jean
• Ti-Jean is the youngest
of the brothers. He is
described as being lazy
by his older brothers.
• Gros Jean says they do
all the work, Mi Jean
says they do all the
thinking while Ti-Jean
sits like a prince as
useless as a bone.
Ti Jean
• Ti-Jean is vastly different
from his brothers. He is
described as the man in
the moon (someone to
look up to), a hero who
outwitted the devil. He
listens to his mothers
advice and is respectful
to the animals of the
forest.
 Ti-Jean
• In the prologue, Ti-Jean is
introduced as the Hunter
who carries faggots
(sticks) on his shoulder
and has a small dog. He is
placed in the moon to be
a light in the darkness, just
as the firewood can bring
light to a home.
• In the play he carries a
stick with him.
Ti-Jean
• When he leaves home
like his brothers, Ti-Jean
refuses to obey the Devil
and rather goes on the
offensive and creates his
own rules which
undermine the Devil’s
authority and in the end,
provokes the devil to the
point of showing anger.
Ti-Jean
• Ti-Jean’s guiding
principle in this
confrontation is to trust
his instincts. He refuses
to do what the Devil (as
the planter) instructs
him.
• Who with the Devil tries
to play fair, Weaves the
net of his own despair
Ti- Jean
• Instead of counting the
cane leaves, he burns
the fields.
• He kills and curries the
goat he was supposed
to guard.
• He burns down the
Devil’s house.
Ti-Jean
• When told of this the
Devil loses his temper
and thus loses the bet
to Ti-Jean.
• As a reward Ti-Jean
receives a shower of
gold and a wish.
• He gives life to the
Bolom.
 The Characters – The Mother
• The mother is
introduced by sad flute
music.
• She was very poor, said
to be too weak to
protect her children.
• The house was cold and
there was very little or
no food.
 The Mother
• She has had experience living
within the forest and tries to
warn her two older boys to
heed the wisdom of the
natural world.
• “I tell you from experience I
know when evil comes.”
• “Praise God who make all
things; ask direction of the
bird and the insects...but be
careful of the hidden nets of
the devil.”
 The Mother
• She is a humble woman,
as well as very spiritual.
• “I prayed to God all day
while I scrubbed the hut
bare, on the knuckles of
my knees.”
 The Mother
• She shows compassion
to the Bolom.
• “You can find comfort
here. Let a mother
touch you for the sake
of her kind.”
• She prays for her son
Ti-Jean as he faces his
trials.
The Characters – The Devil
• The Devil is described in
awesome terms. He has
dead eyes, his skin is as
white as a leper’s. He is
also the owner of half
of the world and the
seat of intrigue, evil and
destruction
The Characters – The Devil
• In the play, he appears in
the guise of the Papa
Bois, the owner of the
forest, who meets the
characters as an old man
who offers advice. He
also adopts the disguise
as a planter who manages
to outwit the two
brothers and finally as an
old man.
 The Characters - The Devil
• As the Planter, the Devil 3. He uses their own
manages to trick both character flaws against
Gros Jean and Mi-Jean into them. He makes Gros
losing the bet. Jean lose his temper by
1. He instructs them to guard calling him the wrong
a goat that cannot be name. He makes Mi-
caught.
Jean lose his temper by
2. He makes them do
engaging in a verbal
meaningless tasks like
count cane leaves and
battle of wits, which Mi-
stalks. Jean loses.
 The Characters - Bolom
• The Bolom is the spirit
of a child who was killed
before it was born.
• It is angry at having
been denied life by its
mother.
• It is the messenger who
tells the boys of the
Devil’s challenge.
 The Bolom
• The Bolom wants to be • When Ti-Jean wins the
given the chance to be bet, the Bolom stands
born and to live. If all up to the Devil and
three boys die, he will demands that the
be given a chance to bargain be honoured.
live again. “Not till your • Ti Jean is given a wish,
sons die, Mother, shall and he wishes for the
this shape feel this life.” Bolom to be given life.
The Bolom becomes a
brother to Ti-Jean.