Gender in Mumbo Jumbo and Ishmael Reed
When I came across articles about
gender when researching for my panel presentation, I realized how little I had
focused on the aspect of gender within Mumbo Jumbo, and upon my query,
several of my peers felt similarly. I think part of this is due to the fact
that there are so many other complicated issues and themes to focus on and
discuss, that I was effectively distracted from the issue of gender, or lack
thereof, within the novel.
One thing that is a noticeable
common theme among all the female characters in the book is how they are oversexualized.
Earline is possessed by a spirit, Ezrulie, who fulfills the trope of the evil
temptress, seducing the poor, innocent train conductor who has a family at home
and was defenseless to her feminine wiles. By portraying Earline’s sexual
expression as negative and a bad thing that needed correction through removing
the spirit, he is condoning that behavior in the same way that western culture,
the very thing he’s trying to subvert, does.
One thing that we didn’t get to in
my panel presentation were arguments both criticizing as well as supporting Ishmael
Reed. Like we briefly mentioned in 3rd hour discussion today, it’s easy
to criticize Reed for his lack of female representation and the negativity he
shines on the few female characters he does have. However, supporters of Reed argue
that the lack of female characters reflect the imbalanced gender roles of the
times the books are set in. While this may be true, as we discussed in class
today, it would be really easy and fit well into Mumbo Jumbo for Reed to
include the flapper culture and “new woman” that arose alongside the Harlem Renaissance
and the “new negro”. Similarly, the role of women within VooDoo and African
culture is another opportunity for him to incorporate a stronger female character/feminist
message that he does not take advantage of.
Patrick McGee argue in support of Reed that "While all
of (Reed's) books contain misogynist representations, they also negatively
deconstruct machismo, patriarchy, and Western imperialism". This argument somewhat
fits with Mumbo Jumbo, which focuses on subverting western society, and
white supremacy specifically, which could also be read as criticism of the masculinity
due to the patriarchal nature of western culture. However, I think that Reed’s
complete focus on race within Mumbo Jumbo shows his morals and which
issues are most important to him. The negative depiction of female sexuality
within Mumbo Jumbo seems to make his positions and opinions clear to the
reader.
So
I guess the questions I leave with you are, do you
think these are fair criticisms of Reed? Do these criticisms change the way we
understand Mumbo Jumbo? Can his misogyny be dismissed or does it
undermine his goal of subverting race in western culture?
Source:
Strombeck,
Andrew. “The Conspiracy of Masculinity in Ishmael Reed.” African
American Review, vol. 40, no. 2, Summer 2006, p. 299. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=22940218.
I personally think that the criticisms of Reed's depiction of female characters in the novel are valid. As we discussed in class, feminism meshes well with the idea of Jes Grew and overturning the norm so it's really weird that Reed doesn't support it within the novel. Also, women have a prominent role in voodoo culture as well, so even if he didn't do much with feminism in his novel, he definitely could have done things with gender within Voodoo culture specifically. It seems that he pretty intentionally avoided these topics because I find it weird that they naturally mesh so well with the rest of his book and yet he doesn't incorporate these ideas at all.
ReplyDeleteI think your point is really important to look into because I also didn't think about the lack of gender expression in Mumbo Jumbo, probably because I was more focused on the fights between race and culture.
ReplyDeleteWhile there aren't many cases of women being oversexualized in Mumbo Jumbo, I think this is because there aren't any big, important female characters at all. Earline wasn't depicted as a someone who tried to impose their sexual appeal on others, however by creating an "evil spirit", Reed implied that women who sleep around are evil and worse images of other women. The other female character we see is Charlotte and even she chooses to act and engage in professions other people look down upon. Theres no diversity in which females can portray different personalities and characteristics.
I think the criticism of Reed's portrayal of female characters are all true. I think Reed had plenty of material to use when writing his female characters. Since women are an important part of Voodoo culture I was confused as to why Reed did not have any female characters as leaders in the Jes Grew movement.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really realize the lack of gender in Mumbo Jumbo until I read this post and I agree with the people who criticize Reed. I feel like there were many opportunities that would seem fitting to incorporate women, and he doesn't. He didn't even have to say things on gender equality or feminism, but just even including them more in the Jes Grew movement would've added so much to the novel.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that misogyny is excusable in any context, and Mumbo Jumbo is no exception. However, you mention how Reed could be attempting to maintain historical accuracy. I find this really interesting, because I feel like this seems to be a pattern for him. We talked a little in class about how much he hates Hamilton, a show that is famous in part for portraying historical events through the lens of today's America. Maybe Reed is just a big stickler about historical accuracy.
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