The Jumbies

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. There are many similarities between myths and legends all over the world. Watch author Tracey Baptiste talk about this idea in this video.

• What is a legendary character or mythological story from outside the Caribbean that is similar to a story or character in The Jumbies? (topic sentence)
• Explain three points of similarity between the two stories or characters.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, use information from Tracey Baptiste’s video to comment on why the two stories might be so similar.

2. Over the course of The Jumbies, Corinne grows in her understanding of both herself and others.

• What truth does Corinne learn about the idea of “good” and “bad” people? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples from the last half of the book that show that Corinne understands this truth.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Corinne’s growing understanding is related to the book’s thematic interest in The Complexity of the Natural World and The Importance of Self-Acceptance.

3. The white witch, like Corinne, is part human and part jumbie.

• What important lesson about fairness does the witch teach Corinne because of her dual nature? (topic sentence)
• Give at least three examples that illustrate the lesson the witch is trying to teach Corinne.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how Corinne and the white witch’s dual natures are related to the book’s thematic interest in Restoring Balance Through Magic.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. In Chapter 9, Severine has a memory about men in ships coming to the island long ago. How does this memory create an analogy between the jumbies and the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean? What point do you think Baptiste might be making about non-indigenous Caribbean peoples’ relationship to these indigenous peoples? Show how Severine’s memory and the novel’s messages about colonization are related to the novel’s thematic interest in Restoring Balance Through Magic. Support your ideas with evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any quoted language.

2. What is the symbolic role of food in The Jumbies? What is important about the scenes where food appears? What clues do plot and characterization give about the meaning of food? What kinds of language and detail does Baptiste use to create particular tones and moods related to food? Write an essay in which you analyze the symbolic meaning of food in the novel. Support your ideas with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite all quoted language.

3. Nicole La Mer was a jumbie, yet she never told Corinne about her heritage. Why do you think she made this choice? Does Pierre seem to know that his daughter is half jumbie? When the white witch realizes that Corinne is part jumbie, she is surprised; why do you think Nicole did not tell the white witch, either? Write an essay about what Nicole’s choices reveal about prejudice and The Importance of Self-Acceptance. Support your ideas with evidence drawn from throughout the novel, making sure to cite any borrowed language.