The Jes Grew Rebellion
Well, we’re done with Mumbo Jumbo, it was ….interesting. I wasn't even entirely sure where to start with this blog post , there are so many things to dissect when it comes to Mumbo Jumbo but in the end I decided to take a closer look at the symbolism behind Jes Grew.
At its heart Jes Grew seems to represent a rebellion against the oppressive forces of mainstream white culture. In this novel these oppressive forces are depicted as the Atonists and the Wallflower Order, groups that seek to suppress all forms of cultural expression deemed dangerous ( a decision made by themselves of course). Jes Grew is in direct opposition to these groups as it disrupts social norms through its infectious energy and liberating influence.
The term Jes Grew itself is a play on words, it is reflective of the nature of an anti-plague. The name suggests that the phenomenon is natural, spontaneous, and uncontrollable, like a plant that grows. Similar to the proliferation of ideas and cultural practices which seem to spread with no institutional control, Jes Grew is not controlled by rules of typical conventions; it thrives on improvisation, drawing inspiration from a multitude of sources to create something entirely different.
In the context of Mumbo Jumbo, Jes Grew manifests itself in many forms like jazz music, dance, art, literature, and so many more elements that encompassed the Harlem Renaissance. Jes Grew seems to be a cultural force that transcends racial, ethnic, and geographical boundaries. It brings people together to celebrate the freedom of creativity.
However, Jes Grew is not just a force for cultural renewal, it is also a source of fear for those (Atonists) who aim to maintain the current cultural norms of our society. Our main antagonist, Hinckle Von Vampton, views Jes Grew as a threat to the authority and control of the Knights Templar (meant to be representative of mainstream white culture). Vampton spares no effort in his attempts to eradicate and suppress Jes Grew. These desperate attempts to suppress Jes Grew, where Vampton constantly attempts to discredit Jes Grew, is reminiscent of our own society and its frequent attempts to discredit trends initiated by minorities. For example, Beyonce's Superbowl ‘takeover’, the backlash faced by artists during the spread of hip hop and rap, clothing/ hair trends among Black Americans, ect.
In this manner, Jes Grew can be interpreted as a metaphor for the eternal struggle between creativity and conformity. It is representative of the inextinguishable human need to break free from constraints set by society and express ourselves authentically, without regard to the possible consequences. Jes Grew seems to embody the spirit of rebellion, challenging established conventions with its boundless energy.
Author's Note: this blog post was kinda all over the place with my ideas, but I hope everyone found something helpful about it regardless.
Nice post, Nyla. What really stuck out to me from class that your post brought up is how Jes Grew doesn't exist without atonism/a force acting against it. Reed makes a very interesting argument through his portrayal of Jes Grew that cultural change happens most readily where there is backlash against it, and that by being a wallflower/unwilling to change/whatever, you are kind of asking for Jes Grew to return. By trying to extinguish what you are afraid of, you are only allowing for its return.
ReplyDeleteGood post! I like the postmodernist parts of the book. Much like postmodernism, Jes Grew is a reaction to something. The book also subverts tropes with this build up to find the text. Later on, it just diminishes the entire story by stating in one page that Abdul decided to burn it. I like your connection to the idea that humans can't be put in a box. Jazz is also pretty postmodernist, relying on improvisation as you pointed out.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably appropriate for a blog post on this novel to be "all over the place"--it's fair to say that Reed himself is all over the place with his novel! Even Jes Grew as a focus leads you in a number of different directions. I would have liked to talk about it even more in class, so I like how you touch on the essentially "organic" metaphor for culture that "just grew" represents: there is no single "author" or creative force that constructs culture and shares it with the masses. One thing just leads to another, people hear and respond to a certain rhythm, dances are invented to fit that rhythm, a culture arises around that music and dance, other art and literary forms take inspiration from the naturally arising popular culture, and the cycle continues. Among other things, this novel is making the assertion that it is VITAL to study and understand popular culture in order to understand history--this stuff shouldn't be "mistaken for entertainment." It goes a lot deeper.
ReplyDeleteI just love this as a metaphor for how culture works, and in my blog post on hip-hop as an example of Jes Grew that Reed almost seems to predict in this novel, I try to make clear how this world-altering cultural form really did emerge from the most unlikely place, created by the most unlikely people, unexpected by everyone (except maybe Ishmael Reed). It makes me excited to see where culture will evolve next--the core idea is that none of us can predict.
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ReplyDeleteGreat Post at highlighting and explaining Jes Grew. It really shows itself as the counterculture to White Culture, but what really makes Jes Grew unique is how white culture backlashes at Jes Grew. But, as you mentioned with Jes Grew being all about breaking free from constrains, this does not stop it and only strengthens Jes Grew in a way.
ReplyDeleteI really like the part where you describe Jes Grew as the "struggle between cereativity and conformity" since, in a way, it very neatly describes postmodernism as a whole. Postmodernism is all about rejecting the norm, about the assumption that there isn't one objective, true way to create art. Basically, Mumbo Jumbo and the Jes Grew "plague" are also metaphors for the battle between Modernist and Postmodernist ideals, as well as the obvious racial and social commentary. Nice interpretation.
ReplyDeleteNice post Nyla! I love your description of Jes Grew thriving "on improvisation, drawing inspiration from a multitude of sources to create something entirely different" and I think that's completely fitting with the explosion of art during the Harlem Renaissance and the fact that jazz music itself is a lot of improvisation! I find the contrast interesting of Jes Grew being this new and different wave, while it also serves as a threat to the dominant white culture. The only way Jes Grew was able to be neutralized was for it to be taken on by white people and integrate into the culture. I also especially love your last paragraph describing Jes Grew!
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about the Jes Grew conflict being a conflict between creativity and conformity. In the Mumbo Jumbo universe---and real life as well---it seems that creativity is this naturally occuring thing which is only ever non-existant because it's repressed. People need to purposefully try to prevent creativity, but nobody needs to purposefully try to create it for it to exist.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your conclusion—I think there's a fixation on race and whatever dynamics may be derived from it but in a more broader sense, the struggle of self expression in the face of a disapproving authority is what matters more. The use of race in a story like Mumbo Jumbo seems to draw on some topics that may be closest to Reed yet it doesn't seem to make this struggle one exclusive to a certain group.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your conclusions about jes grew. It does seem like it's kind of based in the fundamental need to express ourselves, and it almost seems like it's some kind of eternal force in the world. I think Papa LaBas said at one point that it has no beginning or end, which is a pretty optimistic viewpoint considering how it basically died down again at the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of Jes Grew as a rebellion is very interesting! I hadn't thought about it like that. It stands to further different cultures even though there are so many forces in the way to stop them. The want to express oneself is so prevalent in Jes Grew and throughout this book too. Great post!
ReplyDeleteFraming Jes Grew as a rebellion instead of the "anti-plague" is really helpful in putting it in a more relatable context. I think that it gives more agency to those affected by it; it's a choice to be different from the norm, but a necessary one.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Jes Grew represents the fight between change + creativity with conformity. No matter what the status quo is, by virtue of being the "status quo" it will be unchanging, and encourage society to follow its pace. This will always give something like Jes Grew the chance to challenge the dominant ideology by spreading organic creativity. There are definately other examples of the rise and fall of counter cultures throughout history that Jes Grew and Atonism's dynamic reflect.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, and this got me thinking of a ton of questions about culture, the metaphor of Jes Grew, people feeling threatened by other cultures, evolution, and other things. Why do some cultures seem to be filled with authenticity and the spirit of rebellion with boundless energy like you said, and why do others seem like they have a large rod placed inside of their ass? I get a feeling (and I think others feel the same way) that american culture today feels more conformed than other cultures, but I wonder if that's because I just don't agree with a lot of what american culture thinks? Maybe we only feel the boundless energy and spirit of rebellion if we feel connected to others, and disagreements and hate kills the experiences? Regardless, great blog!
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm about to type might feel racist, but I will type it anyway. I'm fascinated by the difference in the feel of different cultures- I notice that music made by black people tends to give me and the people around me a much deeper spiritual feeling than music made by white people. Why is this? One theory I have is that dealing with pain and suffering tends to cause a deeper spiritual connection to life, and the average african american experience vs white american experience in history seems to be filled with significantly more pain and suffering.
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