Ti-Jean and His Brothers Themes

Pride vs. Humility

Ti-Jean and His Brothers is a fable set in the Caribbean in which the Devil poses a challenge to three brothers. The Devil promises to grant wealth and property to whichever of the brothers is able to make him angry. But the other side of the deal is that the Devil will eat the brothers whom he is able to make angry. Ti-Jean, the youngest of the three brothers, is the only one who…

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Colonialism and Racism

In Ti-Jean and His Brothers, Derek Walcott tells a fable about three young men challenged to defeat the Devil. The Devil makes a bet with the three brothers: they are to try to make him angry. If they succeed, the Devil will grant them wealth and property. If they fail, the Devil will eat them. The play is set in an unspecified place in the Caribbean, and Ti-Jean and his brothers seem to…

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Capitalism and Dehumanization

In the play Ti-Jean and his Brothers, Derek Walcott tells the story of three brothers with whom the Devil makes a bet: if the Devil is able to anger any of the brothers, he will kill him, while any brother that can provoke a response of anger in the Devil will be granted wealth and property. One of the Devil’s disguises in the play is the Planter, a wealthy white plantation owner in the…

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Capitalism and Dehumanization Theme Icon

The Power of Faith

The antagonist of Ti-Jean and His Brothers is the Devil himself, who challenges three young men to a dangerous bet. Ti-Jean and his two older brothers live in poverty, and the Devil promises them that whoever among them can cause him to lose his temper will receive wealth and property. However, if the Devil succeeds in making one of the brothers angry, he gets to eat him. As the three brothers navigate this challenging situation…

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