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Mi-Jean
Mi-Jean and Ti-Jean’s older brother. Gros Jean is very strong, proud of his so-called “iron arm.” He is the first to leave home in order to accept the Devil’s challenge—Gros Jean is to make the Devil angry before the Devil can make him angry. As he leaves his family home to find the Devil, he comes across Frog in the forest, and wonders at how God could make such ugly creatures. Soon after that, Gros Jean comes across the Old Man, and asks him what the quickest path to success is. The Old Man tells him that money is what’s most important, and that working for the white Planter is the fastest way to riches. Gros Jean follows the Old Man’s directions to the plantation, where the Devil, disguised as the Planter, is his boss. After two days straight of work with no rest, Gros Jean wants to take a smoke break, but the Planter passive aggressively tries to encourage Gros Jean to keep working—after all, the harder Gros Jean works, the more the Planter will profit. Frustrated that the Planter doesn’t acknowledge how hard Gros Jean has already worked—and how much faster he is able to work than others, due to his strong arm—Gros Jean loses his temper with the Planter, and in doing so loses the challenge to the Devil. Like Mi-Jean, Gros Jean’s downfall is his ego.
Gros Jean Quotes in Ti-Jean and His Brothers
The Ti-Jean and His Brothers quotes below are all either spoken by Gros Jean or refer to Gros Jean. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Prologue
Quotes
MOTHER: Wait, and God will send us something.
GROS JEAN: God forget where he put us.
MI JEAN: God too irresponsible.
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Act 1
Quotes
“Get out of my way, you slimy bastard! How God could make such things?”
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“What counts in this world is money and power.”
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“Remember what the old son of a leaf-gathering beggar said? He said that working for the Devil was the shortest way to success. Well, I walked up through the bush then I come onto a large field. Estate-like, you know. Sugar, tobacco, and a hell of a big white house where they say the Devil lives. Ay-ay. So two next black fellers bring me up to him. Big white man, his hand cold as an axe blade and his mind twice as sharp.”
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“Other people want what I have, Charley, and other people have more. Can’t help myself, Joe, it’s some sort of disease, and it spreads right down to the common man.”
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“Sorry, sorry, Gros Jean, sometimes we people in charge of industry forget that you people aren’t machines. I mean people like you, Hubert…”
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Gros Jean Quotes in Ti-Jean and His Brothers
The Ti-Jean and His Brothers quotes below are all either spoken by Gros Jean or refer to Gros Jean. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Prologue
Quotes
MOTHER: Wait, and God will send us something.
GROS JEAN: God forget where he put us.
MI JEAN: God too irresponsible.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1
Quotes
“Get out of my way, you slimy bastard! How God could make such things?”
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“What counts in this world is money and power.”
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“Remember what the old son of a leaf-gathering beggar said? He said that working for the Devil was the shortest way to success. Well, I walked up through the bush then I come onto a large field. Estate-like, you know. Sugar, tobacco, and a hell of a big white house where they say the Devil lives. Ay-ay. So two next black fellers bring me up to him. Big white man, his hand cold as an axe blade and his mind twice as sharp.”
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“Other people want what I have, Charley, and other people have more. Can’t help myself, Joe, it’s some sort of disease, and it spreads right down to the common man.”
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“Sorry, sorry, Gros Jean, sometimes we people in charge of industry forget that you people aren’t machines. I mean people like you, Hubert…”
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