The Metanarrative of Mumbo Jumbo
In Mumbo Jumbo, it's no secret that Ishmael Reed goes absolutely ham with the ideas of postmodernism. The whole concept of the novel is an Afrocentric history that explains the jazz age and its popularity. On top of that, everything about Mumbo Jumbo rejects the typically accepted ideas of novels, history, and music: the metanarratives we base our lives around. The unusual formatting with chapter one coming before the title page, extremely varied chapter lengths, first person footnotes, and even two of the same number chapter is certainly jarring at first. At least for me, I thought, “what’s wrong with this Ishmael Reed guy, anyways?! Just write a normal novel!” but that’s kind of his point: There’s no one correct way to write a novel or understand history, and, from a postmodernist’s perspective, his narrative is just as valid as anyone else’s.
The first metanarrative flipped on its head by Reed is religion. With approximately 62% of people in the US being some form of christian, it makes sense that our ideas are heavily sculpted around that (Pew Research Center). However, that’s far from the case for other countries, including those in Africa which Reed chooses to highlight. He sets up the Atonists as the villains of his story, and supporters of Jes Grew like Papa Labas as the heroes. By representing western monotheists as these villainous sun worshippers, Reed calls out a lot of the uncomfortable history of Western culture reflecting black influence. The ‘bad guys’ are seen throughout the novel trying to stamp out Jes Grew “The Knights Templar will be in charge of the anti-Jes Grew serum… [or] the black tide of mud will engulf us all,” (Reed, 69). What the Atonists called a disease was really something black people were enjoying and trying to protect. This goes against historical metanarratives in the US where Christians are represented as the good guys, with versions of other religions such as witches and voodoo being demonized.
There is also something to say for the unconventional style of Mumbo Jumbo. As stated before, it goes beyond just being different for the fun of it: Reed is trying to prove a point. At first, I was honestly pretty frustrated with the “quirkiness” of the novel. It seemed chaotic and pointless, making it harder for me to understand the plot. When I got to chapters 52, I was prepared for even more all-over-the-place narration and confusion, but I was met with a metanarrative that tied the previous 160 pages together seamlessly. The sermon given by Papa Labas explains what Jes Grew is a manifestation of, and how it will survive forever even if this particular instance is stamped out. Osiris being a God deeply tied to the origins of Jes Grew and this dancing spirit, “he taught people to permit nature to speak and dance through them,” (Reed, 165). This explanation of the mystery Papa Labas was trying to solve ties together the rest of the novel perfectly.
With the lack of a text, and the ultimate fizzling out of Jes Grew, some might say the ending is anticlimactic. Although the story is fiction by genre, I think the main purpose Reed had in mind while writing it was to add some depth to the narrative of Jazz’s explosion, and black culture being embraced yet attacked in the United States. The notion you previously accepted - both of how novels are written and how history went down - aren’t necessarily correct, and, in fact, are most likely false.
Works Cited
Pew Research Center, “Religious Landscape Study,” pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/
Reed, Ishmael. Mambo Jumbo. Simon & Schuster, 1972.
Reading about your initial skepticism for the book that chapters 52 at least partially healed was interesting. I think those are also some of my favorite chapters in the book. I also really like your point about religion and the impact of Christianity on mainstream culture. I don't really know that much about exact times, but I feel like people got increasingly less religious over the course of the 20th century. The Scopes monkey trial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_trial happened in the 20s (that one where there was a law in Tennessee against teaching evolution). I would guess vaguely that the 60s might have brought on a time of increasing diversity of religious expression. I wonder how this impacted the novel, and if an increase in freedom of religious expression at least partially came in the form of another argument in favor of eventual triumph against the Atonists.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent and wide-ranging account of multiple ways in which this novel challenges its readers to think in unconventional ways, often through the unconventional presentation of the text of the novel itself. And I agree that the stylistic oddities can be equal parts annoying/confusing and quite brilliant and thought-provoking--as the teacher in front of the room trying to corral this mess into a coherent conversation, flipping through pages trying to remember where that one phrase might have been dropped in, there are certainly times when I wish this book were more conventional! But it's also fun and kind of inspirational, even, to see an author who is writing about such serious material while also clearly enjoying himself--Reed is making HIMSELF laugh throughout this book, whether we always appreciate the humor or not. And I do hope you all have been enjoying the humor in this book--every time I read it a new line strikes me as hilarious or absurd, and I continue to be impressed by how TIGHT the underlying narrative is, despite the chaos of the surface. When LaBas talks about the need for a "future Text" at the close of the narrative, a new form of fiction (perhaps) that is better suited to depict the realities of a Jes Grew universe, it's hard not to imagine _Mumbo Jumbo_ itself as the prime example of what a future text might look like.
ReplyDeleteHey Violet! I really like the way you described how you grew to enjoy the book's qualities as you kept reading. Surely not every postmodernist was born with ideas of going against the current, and you've shown your journey to understanding well. I also like how you detailed the book's significance apart from telling.a fictional story. Mumbo Jumbo is more than just a novel and you've shown that. Great work!
ReplyDeleteHello Violet!! I also went through a similar frustration/annoyance with Reed's writing style, and I agree that it was definitely a main point in the novel. It's one of those things that you only truly understand by sticking it out and making it through the novel. I really loved how Reed sort of weaved in his commentaries, for example, him telling a pretty negative view on Christianity, and I think that he really knew what he was doing even if it didn't really feel that way initially. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post violet! I completely understand your initial hesitation; I know I got pretty frustrated with Mumbo Jumbo and how hard it was to follow, but just as you said by the end it all came together and I was able to see the bigger picture. This novel is almost reminiscent of history in the sense that it isn't meant to be fully grasped or understood. Ishmael Reed does a wonderful job of painting a complex picture which eventually can be grasped to an extent, but humanity and culture aren't concepts which can simply be explained (as I think is part of his thesis in the novel). The last paragraph of your post does a great job of explaining this idea. I think Mumbo Jumbo is meant to be a form of retelling or additional information as opposed to a fictional story or history textbook. It is the epitome of history and fiction.
ReplyDeleteHi Violet! I was really fascinated with your analysis on how the narrative of Christianity is flipped by Reed, through villainizing the monothelistic religions, shining light on the history of black influence being rejected by Western society. I feel like you made some really good connections in this blog that I resonate with a lot, not just your analysis of a flipped narrative, but also on the unconventional style Reed uses to write his book, but also how you felt chapter 52 relieved any confusion left with a more conventional writing style. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteHey Violet! I really liked how you not only addressed the unconventional format of the book, but showed how it's part of the greater themes and intentions behind the novel. I also agree with what you said about religion's role in Mumbo Jumbo, and how it's a subversion of a common thread in western narratives. Great post!
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