Womanism In Mumbo Jumbo
I was interested in the panel presentation on Womanism in Mumbo Jumbo because when I read the book I didn't connect any of the things discussed in the presentation with Womanism at all. I think it is fair to say that Reed did not write Mumbo Jumbo with Womanist ideas in mind. For most of the book, women are side characters at best and not even present in the majority of scenes. That being said, there are some scenes where the theme of Womanism and sexual freedom is adressed specificly, like when Earline is possessed by a Loa. I think that also Reed hides more refrences to Womanism and sexual liberation outside of those scenes.
Reed's criticism of Atonism is very clear throught the book. Among the numerous things that the Atonists are against is the new style of dancing that is becoming popular in connection with Jes Grew. The Atonists say that the dances are scandalous. That men and women get too close to each other for their tastes. In Mr. Leffs history class we learned that there was a new group of women called 'Flappers' that appeared in the 1920s. These women liked to dress what was considered immodest by the conservatives of the time. They liked to dance and party. They embraced their sexuality more than previous generations did. All of these things made the older, more conservative generation upset. They thought that the flappers were going to destroy their version of an ideal woman, a woman who cares for her children and her husband and is always modest. Flappers were usually white, but I see a strong connection between the Atonist's disdain for the new dances of Jes Grew and the flappers. I think that Reed put this reference in as a nod to women's sexual liberation that was happening in the 1920s.
Reed puts lots of subtle references to American culture in the 1920s that force us to examine the world from a Atonist vs Jes Grew lens. Here the older, conservative generation are the stuffy Atonists. While the new generation is experiencing a form of Jes Grew culture. Many things in Mumbo Jumbo are strictly divided by race, but I think that the dancing and promiscuity that that Atonists are scandalized by is a reference to both black and white culture of the 20s.
Reed's criticism of Atonism is very clear throught the book. Among the numerous things that the Atonists are against is the new style of dancing that is becoming popular in connection with Jes Grew. The Atonists say that the dances are scandalous. That men and women get too close to each other for their tastes. In Mr. Leffs history class we learned that there was a new group of women called 'Flappers' that appeared in the 1920s. These women liked to dress what was considered immodest by the conservatives of the time. They liked to dance and party. They embraced their sexuality more than previous generations did. All of these things made the older, more conservative generation upset. They thought that the flappers were going to destroy their version of an ideal woman, a woman who cares for her children and her husband and is always modest. Flappers were usually white, but I see a strong connection between the Atonist's disdain for the new dances of Jes Grew and the flappers. I think that Reed put this reference in as a nod to women's sexual liberation that was happening in the 1920s.
Reed puts lots of subtle references to American culture in the 1920s that force us to examine the world from a Atonist vs Jes Grew lens. Here the older, conservative generation are the stuffy Atonists. While the new generation is experiencing a form of Jes Grew culture. Many things in Mumbo Jumbo are strictly divided by race, but I think that the dancing and promiscuity that that Atonists are scandalized by is a reference to both black and white culture of the 20s.
Is that enough, though? I don't see any evidence that Reed intended his book to be womanist: its characters are strongly disproportionately men; women are mainly seen through the lens of sexuality, whereas men have sexuality, but it's not the author's main focus; narration doesn't acknowledge the problems with some sex involving women, like when Erzulie occupies Earline. Reed's general Atonist vs Jes Grew ideology can be used to describe the struggle for women's rights, and I wish it were used in his book, but he's made no effort to even name-check feminism anywhere in the novel. I think while we can and should use Reed's framework to discuss women's issues, that discussion clearly wasn't his intent.
ReplyDeleteYou're making a fair point here, but I don't think it's enough. Reed isn't a subtle person -- he's coming right out with his messages about race and minority cultures. A quiet nod isn't his style, and especially not to womanism. There's only two reoccurring women in Mumbo Jumbo and rampant sexism all over the place. I get what you're saying about flappers, but I think if Reed wanted to include them in the category of things Atonists hate, he would have been more overt about it. Just because flappers are connected with dancing doesn't mean Reed was intentionally including them in his message.
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