The Profound Impact of Jes Grew in Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo: Within the Body, Dance, and Cultural Freedom

           Mumbo Jumbo, written by Ismael Reed, utilizes the aspect of dance to demonstrate how people can fight to preserve their culture. The avant-garde movement in the novel, Jes Grew, represents not just an illness, but also the opposite— a pulse of life, a burst of energy meant to be felt and shared. This rhythm serves to show the combination of joy, rhythm, and freedom all simultaneously through the same cause. However, Reed specifically uses this idea to show that the body is more than just a piece of flesh. Rather, he believed that it’s a medium which can be used to express who we are and our true origins. Through the combination of movement and music, people can remember what the world tries to censor and make them forget that culture survives within the individual.

Reed describes dance as something that is meant to connect all human beings. In Chapter 17,  it reads “Dance in the universal art, the common joy of expression. Those who cannot dance are imprisoned in their own ego and cannot live well with other people and the world" (Reed 60). Through this quote, dance is characterized to be more than just a movement. Rather, Reed believes that dance should demonstrate community and culture, as well as the ability to live freely within yourself and others. He is also aiming to show that when people stop dancing, they lose part of what makes them alive. Along with that, dancing allows people to step outside their comfort zones and join something much larger and spiritual. In that shared notion, Reed is able to find a sense of belonging that no single institution can put a cap on. Similarly, he’s able to capture this sense of belonging that can’t be restrained nor truly restricted.

On that note, Reed also conveys the message that Jes Grew will scare away the people who want control. The secret group, referred to as the Wallflower Order, tries to stop Jes Grew in the book as they fear what they cannot comprehend. It’s quite boldly stated that their mission throughout the use of the Talking Android is “to drive it out, categorize it, analyze it, expel it, slay it, blot Jes Grew” (Reed 17). This carefully chosen list of evocative words shows how the power from their secret group is trying to oppress creativity and uniqueness. Instead of trying to celebrate this difference, the Order wants it to be systemic and labeled like everything else in their society. Their fear of Jes Grew reflects the much deeper psychological aspect, where in the American culture of the time, diversity is often feared. It touches on the broader cultural anxiety of wanting to control the unpredictable, and suppress what doesn’t fit under their definition of order. Overall, by turning a joyous activity into something provocative and dangerous, the Order reveals the systemic issue of resisting freedom and mediums which bring that.

By the end of the novel, Reed clearly proclaims that joy and creativity can never be taken away from society. The spirit of Jes Grew only continued to move through people, music, culture, and their memories. The body carries the truth, even when history tries to censor it. Through this idea, Reed reminds the reader (pun intended) that true culture does not always lie in books or texts, but they remain most importantly in shared experiences. As long as people continue expressing themselves, their strength will continue to persevere and culture will be preserved through generations. In today’s world, where cultures still mix, clash, and inspire one another, Reed’s message reminds all of us that movement and art will find ways to go against oppression to stay alive and be liberated. Creativity can never fully be contained or destroyed, as it moves and spreads through individuals to survive.