Obviously,
there are many unique things about Mumbo Jumbo and one of those unique things
is the way the text is written. What I mean by this is how parentheses aren't
used to indicate when a character is speaking and that the numeral
"1" is almost always used instead of its written counterpart
"one." Also of note is how some characters are usually referred to by
the narrator by their full name, including their nickname, if they have any.
I'm not sure of what the purpose for these writing quirks is (technically no
can be?), but I have a few fragmented ideas.
The
lack of speech parentheses is probably the most notable aspect of the things
I’ve described, since it makes reading dialogue initially a little confusing.
However, by just distinguishing who is speaking by sprinkling in phrases like
“Black Herman said,” it seems like parentheses aren’t even necessary. The
message still gets across and all the information you need to know a character
is speaking is already present.Another
thing I’ve noticed is how throughout the whole novel "1" appears in
the text and for some reason it always jumps out at me when I see it. I guess
it’s because I don’t see “1” used as often in other novels and I would expect a
sentence like "1 woman is dressed in an exotic high-gypsy" to be
spelled like ”one woman” instead (30).Hinckle
Von Vampton being referred to by full name almost every time he appears in the
text is another thing I kept noticing while reading. Within dialogue he’s
called “Mr. Von Vampton or just “Hinckle” pretty much any time else his first
and last name are given, although this isn’t always the case. “Of course you
know the managing editor, don’t you, the executive pauses, turning to Hinckle”
is an exception but he isn’t referred to in the same way in the following paragraph;
“The phone rings. Hinckle Von Vampton and Hubert “Safecracker” Gould rush into
the office. Hinckle Von Vampton picks up the phone and the fixed, tight-lipped
expression on his face widens into a grin” (73, 74). I think he easily could
have been called Hinckle here but instead his full name is repeated again in
the following sentence. This keeps happening throughout the novel and I think
Hubert “Safecracker” Gould is treated similarly; he isn’t always referred to by
his full title but usually has his nickname included.
“…a man who like no 1 else captures the
complexity of Negro Thought…Mr. Hubert “Safecracker” Gould!!!
The Hostess and Von Vampton take their seats as
Hubert “Safecracker” Gould, white gloves, blackface, black tuxedo, walks to the
back of the stand and begins to read his epic “Harlem Tom Toms” ”(157). Why
is he introduced with his nickname included and not just as “Hubert Gould?” “Safecracker”
doesn’t seem like it would be relevant to the audience, but it’s possible
there’s no reason for it and I’m just looking too much into it. However, the
themes of controlling culture within Mumbo Jumbo could give the things I’ve
noticed some potential meaning. Could choosing not to use parentheses be
another form of rejecting western ideals of Atonist order? Does the use of "1" instead of "one" suggest that using one over the other makes no difference in meaning? Is the text poking
fun at Atonist order and control by including the nickname of Hubert “Safecracker”
Gould almost every time he is mentioned outside of dialogue? These are a few of the ideas I had but I'm sure there are better ones out there...
I definitely think some of the typos are trying to call to mind some of what the Atonist order tries to impose. Especially with the 1 and one stuff, there is no actual reason why either of them is correct or incorrect other than just because powerful people said so. I never noticed how the narrator referred to the characters though, it's really interesting!
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a lot of things in this post that I wouldn't say I didn't notice, but I guess I never thought of as anything more that what they were. At the beginning of the story, I think I just accepted the fact that that was Reed's convention of writing. I never thought to read more into it. I do like the idea that you bring up in this post is really interesting. I never though of Reed's writing conventions as another way of going against the western ideals of the Antonist order. I think it would be interesting to read through the book again with this in mind.
ReplyDeleteLike Keisha said, I didn't actually notice all of the typos, but I knew that they were there. After reading your post, I can see how Reed would purposefully put in typos as another way to defy Atonist ideals. We're taught all of these grammar rules in school and they're so drilled into our heads that we notice the slightest difference when reading books like Mumbo Jumbo, so I think it's plausible that this awareness was Reed's intention.
ReplyDeleteI remember when we were discussing Ragtime's distinctive lack of quotation marks, the point was brought up that it was very much a postmodernist action. I like the interpretation that both Doctorow and Reed are acknowledging that these works are totally fictitious and flaunting that fact by removing quotation marks so as to draw attention to the fact that none of this is historically documented but it doesn't actually matter. Postmodernism runs rampant throughout Mumbo Jumbo and this was an example of it that definitely stuck with me.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Hubert "Safecracker" Gould, he himself is a part of the general Wallflower Order/Atonist conspiracy, so it's a compelling argument that Reed might be molding an Atonist character to fit his own slightly disorganized narrative. Also, I think Hubert "Safecracker" Gould does actually crack a safe at some point in the book, or it is alluded to, so I understand why Reed mentioned it so frequently with his name because it is a relevant plot point.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny how "Safecracker" is never actually referred to by his nickname alone. Reed does seem to be having fun with the convention of including nicknames in quotation marks, by making sure to do it every single time. As Callie notes, he is actually a safe-cracker, apparently (and it also helps identify him as inherently criminal--as HVV's sidekick, he's presumably been cracking safes of one kind or another for centuries in the service of Atonism). There's also a pun, as with almost all of the names of white characters in this novel: he's a "safe cracker" (or a "white person we don't need to worry about").
ReplyDelete