Something I found really interesting (but also made it more difficult to understand) in Mumbo Jumbo is the intricate writing style and hidden references Ishmael Reed uses throughout the novel. Oftentimes while I was reading I felt as though there was supposed to be a different meaning behind the “face” of the words--like there was a hidden message between the lines. Later I realized that is mainly just Reed’s style, but there are still some concealed references and ideas throughout the book, and you wouldn’t really recognize them unless you spoke fluent Arabic.
My parents were both born and raised in Arab-speaking countries, and my mom is an Arabic teacher, which is why I speak Arabic very well. The references Ishmael Reed makes are something that someone who hasn't spoken Arabic for most of their lives and doesn't know the inside jokes within the language and the history behind the culture, would understand. Similar to how in English some words have slang versions and if you told someone who isn’t fluent in the language the word, then they wouldn’t be able to tell you the definition used in that context. For example the word dough technically means “a thick, malleable mixture of flour and liquid, used for baking into bread or pastry” but someone can say “it’s hard work but it’s worth it cause I get a lot of dough” or something along those lines. It’s clear that the narrator doesn’t actually mean bread dough, but means “money” when referring to dough in the second sentence.
One example of Ishmael Reed doing this is on page 68 when he uses the word hashish. In Arabic, this word literally translates to “grass” but the more colloquial definition is “weed”. Going even deeper, the younger kids (more like teenagers) often joke around with each other and refer to someone who’s smoking hashish as someone who’s smoking when they’re already high and delusional. In a sense you can describe it as someone who’s digging themselves a hole and sitting in it, and as they’re sitting in it they continue digging--so basically they got themselves into a situation and they’re just making it worse.
Another example of Ishmael Reed making a hidden reference is on page 71, when he mentions 1917 and the Holy Land so casually. He says it as if the reader was supposed to just know about the Balfour Declaration and the events that took place following the release of the document. Right now as you’re reading this blog you’re probably still confused about what happened in 1917, but the truth is, I’ve offered you if not the same, then more information than Reed did in Mumbo Jumbo. Since I have an Arab background I caught these subtle comments, but this has me thinking, does Ishmael Reed make references and connections to other cultures throughout the book, and no one really catches them all because no one knows enough of all cultures and ways of life?
Seems like Reed really knows lots about Arabic culture. Instead of googling up some fun facts and throwing obvious references left and right to flaunt his knowledge, he subtly includes references into his writing without making it obvious, like a native speaker would.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting and really cool that you were able to catch the subtle meanings and inside jokes Reed made. Its so cool to think about how knowing one's own culture could change the way you look at a text. Could this be what Reed was trying to do? Was he trying to show people that by knowing one's own culture, the text seems different and holds a different meaning? Maybe he was saying that the atonists couldn't ever control the text because they were never accustomed to this specific culture. Maybe this is why the spirit of Jes grews will continue to thrive throughout generations and generations because the power to truly stop one's culture, is within the people of the culture themselves.
ReplyDeleteIm also curious to see if there were any other connections made to different cultures and what that interpretation could reveal about this book!