Jes Grew is Jus' Growin'
Throughout Mumbo Jumbo , readers attempt to discover what exactly Jes Grew actually is. Even after finishing this confusing tale, the question of what Jes Grew represents remains. We are told in the first chapter that it is “a psychic epidemic” which “once we call it 1 thing it forms into something else” (4-5), yet the idea behind this anti-plague continues to accompany readers. Initially, we as readers begin to believe that Jes Grew is a surface level representation of the jazz movement that swept the nation during the time period. The Wallflower Order attempts to silence the violent dancing deemed inappropriate and that had resulted in women sexualizing themselves and going down the wrong path. However, Jes Grew is not solely a musical revolution, but also a cultural awakening for Black Americans. The book mentions loas, spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou, which symbolize the revival of the suppressed spirit of Black Americans and no longer feeling as tho...