Tibon Character Analysis in The Farming of Bones

Tibon is one of the travelers whom Amabelle and Yves meet while fleeing to Haiti. He was part of a group of Haitians whom Dominican soldiers forced to jump off a cliff, but he survived and managed to join the group of travelers. Tibon also confesses to Amabelle that as a child, he almost killed a Dominican boy out of rage that the boy would not acknowledge him as an equal, and even as an adult he wonders whether racial groups should mix. When the group eventually reaches Dajabón, Tibon is murdered by soldiers patrolling an event where Trujillo is appearing.

Tibon Character Timeline in The Farming of Bones

The timeline below shows where the character Tibon appears in The Farming of Bones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Amabelle is drawn to one of the travelers, named Tibon, whose arms are mismatched; she asks him how long he has been traveling. He tells... (full context)

...the sound of cane being cut, and how the smell of the cane troubled him. Tibon interrupts her memories to tell his story, and describes how he was forced to jump... (full context)

Tibon survives the jump and tries to escape. He recalls how he saw peasants wading into... (full context)

Amabelle begins to walk with the sisters, and Tibon looks disappointed that she has forsaken his company. He begins to talk about the plight... (full context)

Tibon suddenly confesses to Amabelle that when he was ten years old, he almost killed a... (full context)

...go, “people will welcome them,” and that they are capable of finding the border themselves. Tibon worries that the sisters will betray them, but Wilner “sense[s]” that they will not do... (full context)

A group of young soldiers spot Amabelle, Yves, and Tibon. They surround the travelers, “isolating” them from the rest of the crowd that is eagerly... (full context)

...Wilner replies that they do not live “lives of certainty.” Amabelle tries to communicate about Tibon, but her injuries prevent her from speaking; she is unable to tell Odette that they... (full context)

...about Mimi and Sebastien, but Odette misinterprets her words and believes she is asking about Tibon. They arrive at the riverbank, and Amabelle emphasizes that the river looks more intimidating than... (full context)