The Many Comings of Jes Grew
The central element of Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo is the phenomenon of Jes Grew. Presented as both a dangerous plague, so infectious and disruptive that it could cause “the end of Civilization as we know it” and “an anti-plague” which revives society and revitalizes those it infects, Jes Grew is complex and polarizing (Reed 4, 25). Synthesized by Osiris for agriculture, Jes Grew dates back to ancient Egypt. Even at the advent of its creation / popularization, Jes Grew was met with backlash. Throughout history, Jes Grew sporadically reappeared and disappeared with the popularization of new forms of African music. Every re-proliferation was met with resistance, and the anti-plague repeatedly diminished. However, each disappearance was only temporary because “Jes Grew is life” and “there is really no end to life” (Reed 204). The immortal nature of Jes Grew allowed it to persist and pervade history. After Jes Grew is created by Osiris in Ancient times, there is a large gap in histor...