The Jumbies

Consider the novel’s four main characters, Corinne, Dru, Bouki, and Malik, and their contrasting attitudes on magic and jumbies. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each of the characters’ outlooks? How do they change? What did you learn from each character? Support your response with evidence from the novel.

Why do you think Baptiste chose to include a frog’s perspective in The Jumbies? What did this point of view add to the story? What might be lost in the text by removing the frog’s point of view?

The white witch is a catalyst for many of the events that happen in the novel. Discuss her role as a surrogate mother figure for Corinne and a representative of both humans and jumbies. What does her perspective add to the novel?

Discuss the role of food in the novel. In what key scenes do different types of food appear? What does food symbolize in the narrative? Provide evidence from the text in your response.

How does Corinne change from the beginning of the story to the end? Support your response with at least three examples from the novel.

The novel’s fictional island was uninhabited by humans until slavers and their captives arrived. In reality, the Caribbean islands were populated by Indigenous peoples before the arrival of white settlers and their enslaved African laborers. Choose a Caribbean island or group of islands and trace the history of their Indigenous peoples from ancient times until today.

Select three different types of jumbies referenced in the novel and research them. How does Baptiste’s novel vary and build on traditional, Caribbean folkloric beliefs?

To convince Corinne to join the jumbies, Severine tells her they will be an all-powerful family; Corinne will be able to do whatever she wants. Why isn’t Corinne persuaded? What does this show about Severine’s and Corinne’s different understandings of family?