44 pages • 1 hour read
Ishmael ReedMumbo Jumbo
Ishmael ReedFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1972A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Papa LaBas
LaBas, the novel’s protagonist, is a houngan (voodoo priest) and head of the Mumbo Jumbo Kathedral. He views Jes Grew as a manifestation of traditional African beliefs and hopes that its spread will uplift Black people. Of Jes Grew, he says, “For some, it’s a disease, a plague, but in fact it is an anti-plague” (33). He hopes to reunite Jes Grew with its sacred text, the Book of Thoth, and during this pursuit he battles the forces of Atonism.
While most of the characters in Mumbo Jumbo don’t exhibit much growth or change, LaBas does, to an extent. At the novel’s outset, he is resistant to the younger generation’s desire for modernization. But as the novel progresses, he becomes more willing to adapt as his community seeks growth through contemporary thinking and institutions. In the epilogue, LaBas, now 100 years old, seems to have found peace and satisfaction with the life he has lived.
Hinckle Von Vampton
Von Vampton, the novel’s antagonist, is a centuries-old European who aims to eradicate Jes Grew and maintain the dominance of Western civilization. He has struck a deal with the Wallflower Order and is working on their behalf. The tactics he uses to perpetuate white supremacy are highly manipulative. One example of this is his search for a Talking Android—a Black person who celebrates and promotes Western civilization. By having the Talking Android work from within Black circles, Von Vampton hopes he can use him to stall the advancement of Afrocentric culture. Ultimately, Von Vampton fails in his pursuits and is bested by LaBas, who brings him to Benoit Battraville for deportation to Haiti. It seems that, in the end, Von Vampton will live a shackled life in an Afrocentric society, a fate that is karmically appropriate.
Berbelang
Berbelang considers LaBas’s beliefs outdated and leaves the Mumbo Jumbo Kathedral. He takes radical action to advance Afrocentric culture and fight the injustices committed against it by Western institutions. He is the leader of the Mu’tafikah, an organization that breaks into art museums (like the Center of Art Detention) to return non-Western artworks to their lands of origin. After Thor Wintergreen frees Biff Musclewhite from captivity, Musclewhite has Berbelang killed.
Abdul Hamid
Abdul is a Black Muslim who, in opposition to LaBas, believes that Jes Grew poses a threat to Black advancement. He criticizes LaBas’s “old, primitive, superstitious jungle ways” (34) and thinks that the discipline provided by Islam will guide Black people in the right direction. Abdul comes into possession of the Book of Thoth, though he doesn’t seem to fully comprehend its power. He burns it, which results in the subsiding of Jes Grew. However, this also compels LaBas to alter his views and look to the future—rather than once again turning to the past—to recreate Jes Grew’s text. After breaking into Abdul’s office, Von Vampton stabs Abdul in the back, killing him.
Biff Musclewhite
Musclewhite is the curator of the Center of Art Detention. His name suggests a caricature of an archetypal tough white man. Musclewhite has worked for the police department for many years and has engaged in corrupt actions. He kills Charlotte and sets up Berbelang’s murder.
Benoit Battraville
Battraville is based on a Haitian historical figure of the same name who fought against the American occupation. In the novel, Battraville is portrayed as the leader of the Black Plume, a ship anchored off New York City. He is a Voodoo practitioner who incarcerates Von Vampton and Gould for transport to Haiti, where they will face justice.
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