Afrofuturism in Mumbo Jumbo
Though I enjoyed reading Mumbo Jumbo, I think every member of our class can agree that the narrative was confusing at times. The inclusion of graphs, spontaneous lists of words, and lack of upfront exposition threw me for a bit of a loop when I first began reading it, and though I eventually got more used to the style of the book, it still was unlike any other novel I’ve ever read. However, the element of Mumbo Jumbo that was the most bewildering for me was its usage of time. The plot of Mumbo Jumbo doesn’t exactly progress linearly, instead, it swings back and forth between the main storyline of Jes Grew in the 1920s and other points in history, such as the 1970s, though the time spent in these different time periods is usually brief, and provides context or some connection to the 1920s story. The 52 chapters are the culmination of these time period switches, where Papa Le Bas spends two chapters recounting the history of Jes Grew and the Atonists, starting with Ancient Egyptian mythology. Other elements of Mumbo Jumbo also furthered the ambiguity of time and the progression of history in the book, with technology appearing in time periods that did not yet exist in real life.
These aspects of Mumbo Jumbo, including its proud and overt inclusion of African artifacts, art forms, spiritual practices (voodoo) and culture, all reminded me of a concept we learned about with Dr. E in sophomore year: Afrofuturism. Afrofuturism, defined as a “movement in literature, music, art, etc., featuring futuristic or science fiction themes which incorporate elements of black history and culture,” can manifest itself in many ways, (just like Jes Grew!) one of which being through text. From my reading experience, I would classify Mumbo Jumbo as an example of Afrofuturism in a novel. Ishamel Reed explores nonlinear time progression, while using modern ideas and technology to interact with and influence the past, as well as emphasizing and focusing on black characters and their history with African heritage, folklore, and spirituality. I think Mumbo Jumbo being published in the 1970s also contributes to its Afrofuturist characterization, as the events and general message of the novel could be applied accurately to the 1970s as well, replacing jazz with funk, the newer manifestation of Jes Grew. Interestingly, the concept of Afrofuturism was first coined in the nineties, so Ishamel Reed’s storytelling was ahead of his time, or perhaps Mumbo Jumbo was one of the roots of Afrofuturism that would later grow in the future (though who’s to say what the future is.)
The unorthodox styles of Mumbo Jumbo definitely throws you in for a loop. Personally, I've dealt with books that hop around the timeline, so the random interjections of images and conventions threw me off a bit more. I would find myself annoyed at times, perhaps because I was left bewildered and to use extra brain power to see what the heck each illustration was tied to. In addition, great analysis on Afrofuturism in this book. I didn't realize it wasn't coined as a concept until the nineties, and after this book was written!
ReplyDeleteInteresting take! I also was so lost and tossed around by this crazy book. However, although it was a chore to read at times, I also felt that it made the book more unique and interesting to read. I like your analysis of Mumbo Jumbo is also Afrofuturist, and how it helped the whole movement grow and spread.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you included the definition of afrofuturism. Even now, I'm still confused by what exactly afrofuturism is, but I think I have a general understanding after everything we went through last year. Although it didn't appear so to me at first glance, I'd definitely agree that the book is afrofuturist in many ways. If I recall correctly, afrofuturism placed great emphasis on empowering black people, which I think this book does. The fact that the protagonists are trying to save Jes Grew or Jazz, which is predominantly African culture, and considering the book's emphasis on cultural artifacts, it seems to empower rather than inhibit.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great observation. I didn't really realize a lot of the weird stuff that Reed was doing at the time, I was just trying to move through the text and get the basic gist down but after finishing, a lot of the deeper ideas are jumping out like this one. I think Reed definitely was a part of this movement but I also think he was experimenting with his own ideas in a lot of ways. I feel like this is the most unique book I have ever read and I am hesitant to give it one name or put it in one category.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think Ishmael Reed would say that Jes Grew is present in afrofuturist works and writings. Similar to music, science fiction, art, and technological applications are all important to a culture and movement. If you also think of mumbo jumbo as afrofuturist, I think you can uncover the intent Reed is trying to get at with Jes Grew and the Mumbo Jumbo Kathedral.
ReplyDeleteNice post! Mumbo Jumbo was definitely confusing, but gradually, readers understood the oddities of Reed's writings. The swinging of time between the 1920s and 1970s is a connection to Papa LaBas' metaphor regarding time as a pendulum. Additionally, I believe Mumbo Jumbo (and Kindred!) is Afrofuturistic due to its uplifting of culture through the artifacts and the acceptance of jazz towards the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you brought up this topic--I forgot that you-all have been introduced to Afrofuturism in Dr. E's sophomore English class. Reed's novel definitely reflects a number of Afrofuturist elements, and I was not surprised to learn recently that George Clinton (of Parliament-Funkadelic fame) was a huge fan of _Mumbo Jumbo_ when it was first published. I also learned that Clinton optioned the film rights to _Mumbo Jumbo_. but apparently the film was never made. The mind boggles at the prospect of what a P-Funk-conceived and scored 1970s film adaptation of this crazy novel might have been like, and our culture is worse off without it.
ReplyDeleteIt's really interesting to think about whether Ishmael Reed may have unknowingly had some influence in the beginning of Afrofuturism. His whole goal was to create things that were groundbreaking and unorthodox, so the idea that his work could inspire that on its own without him consciously making that decision is really interesting.
ReplyDeleteOh man I hadn't thought about Afrofuturism in so long but now that you mention it it fits perfectly with this novel! I think not only is it significant that aspects of African culture are discussed so much in the book, but also the sci-fi-ish element of jumping between timelines that you described gives the reader a feeling for how African culture has contributed to and shaped so much of U.S./world culture.
ReplyDeleteHi! This is an interesting connection to the book. I think even though it was a handful to read and extremely complex at times, it still contained very important themes and subject matter. Ones that can be brought into the world we live in today. I haven't thought about Afrofuturism in a while but it definitely fits with the ideas and execution of the book. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI think that your connection with Afrofuturism and the novel is interesting. I think that there are elements in the book where Reed is giving the reader a vision for the future. One that comes to my head is at the end of the story when Jes Grews is described as recurring and no matter how many black movements fade away, another will come and challenge mainstream society. Your blog brings up good discussion topics and gives me an idea I hadn't thought of before.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your observation that Mumbo Jumbo is in many ways an afrofuturistic novel. I think what's most interesting about this analysis is that it's a novel being written in the 70s about a time fifty years earlier, so it doesn't really come across as "futuristic" at first. However, if you pretend like it was written before the time in which it was set, it totally fits. In this way, Reed contemplates what the 20s would look like if it had been a more "futuristic" time. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Clara, I think this is a great post. The connections you made to afrofuturism make a lot of sense, and I had not really thought about this novel that way until now. Mumbo Jumbo fits into this genre in many ways. I also like how you connected the manifestation of Jes Grew with this idea, and I think it's a great example.
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