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Olfactory Fatigue

T he harsh environment of 1830s antebellum slavery leaves no one untouched. At first, Dana thinks of herself as an observer of the past, someone who watches history fly by. However, Dana is forced to reconsider her role when she comes face-to-face with a re-enactment of a slave auction by slave children. That scene is brought to life when she comments on the smells of the Weylin plantation. Dana must come to terms with her reality - she’s living slavery, and slavery is deeply intertwined with her existence. “Everyone smelled, black and white. Nobody washed enough or changed clothes often enough. The slaves worked up a sweat and the whites sweated without working. Kevin and I didn’t have enough clothes or any deodorant at all, so often, we smelled too. Surprisingly, we were beginning to get used to it” (98). This description seems pretty accurate. The terrible hygiene in Dana's new environment reflects historical circumstances - the lack of running water meant that everyone re...
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Hip-Hop through the Lens of Mumbo Jumbo

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  "Hip hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years." * These are the words of Fox News (or should I say - New York Sun ?) reporter Geraldo Rivera . Rivera claims that hip-hop lyrics contain negative content that sets a bad example for Black kids. He argues that Black culture is a problem, one that hurts America as a whole. Sound familiar?  A metaphorical pandemic of Jes Grew, which represents Black culture, similarly plagues the world of Mumbo Jumbo . The Atonist Path, a secret society that upholds white culture, opposes the spread of Jes Grew. Colonialist Western civilization - the same people who have violently forced its history and traditions upon others for thousands of years - sees Jes Grew as a threat. The Atonists call African art to be “‘primitive,’’ at best ‘charming’ and ‘mostly propagandistic’” (57). Similarly, many Atonists today have questioned the legitimacy of rap as music and rappers as artists. Also, the narrative around ...
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Life of an Inventor

Two inventors in E. L. Doctorow’s novel Ragtime contribute to the rapid modernization of the 20th century. A Jewish immigrant escaping poverty (Tateh) and a depressed middle class white male (Younger Brother) take different paths in finding their life purpose. Tateh becomes an entrepreneur, creating movies to support his family. Tateh used to be an anarchist working at a textile mill. One day he realizes that labor strikes would never lead to anything beyond “a few more pennies in wages” (131). So he quits to make flip books instead. Society rewards him accordingly: these efforts blossom into a popular short film company and he gets a happy family. Tateh’s success comes with a cost—he abandons his past beliefs and identity along the way. Tateh even takes the title “Baron” to hide his Jewish name, presumably to gain credibility in the movie industry. On the other hand, Younger Brother becomes a revolutionary, advancing social causes by using the weapons he invents. Dissatisfied with h...
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Little Boy is a Postmodern Genius

Little Boy is also an ordinary child. He grows up in an upper-middle-class family in the early 1900s. Left to his own devices, Little Boy embarks on a journey that doesn’t seem to make any sense. He puts the same record on repeat. He watches stuff slide off of tables. He practices narcissism—he stares at mirrors to separate himself. From these experiences, he finally concludes that “the world composed and recomposed itself constantly in an endless process of dissatisfaction” (118). Little Boy’s idiosyncrasies are manifestations of his obsession with change, which naturally reflects the shifting ethnic, political, and economic landscape of his time. Grandfather isn’t so open to change, a quality best illustrated by his refusal to buy new clothes. He tells Little Boy stories, so-called “images of truth” (116). Naturally, Little Boy doesn’t sit back and accept them for the way they are. He sees these stories as “propositions that could be tested” (116). What Little Boy hears—a mix of what...
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