Death in Mumbo Jumbo
Death is a common theme in Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo . Reed kills off a number of his characters, including characters central to the book like Abdul, Berbelang, Charlotte, and Thor Wintergreen. These characters are involved in either Jes Grew or the Mu’tafikah and most die at the hands of men who despise those movements. Consequently, Reed’s use of death throughout the book provides a commentary on the nature of Jes Grew and the people who try to extinguish it. One of the ways that Reed uses death in his book is to suggest that Jes Grew is dangerous, but not in the way that Hinckle Von Vampton and the Wallflower Order believe it to be. In the eyes of the Wallflower Order, Jes Grew is a harmful virus that is spreading across America and infecting young people. Reed contrasts this idea by showing that the only real danger is the harm being done at the hands of Hinckle, Gould, the Wallflower Order, and Biff Musclewhite. These men are afraid o...