Talking Androids!
A persistent theme throughout Mumbo Jumbo is Von Hampton’s search for a “talking android,” a prominent figure capable of swaying the black population to reject Jes Grew. The search for a suitable talking android throughout the novel stands to ask the question: What are the ideals/morals that black people hold in America? and additionally, how much does Jes Grew define African American culture. In Von Hampton’s search for the android, Reed introduces numerous characters. It is here that readers can get a sense on what the criteria for the android is. The android has to be an intellectual, some sort of respectable scholar so that it can be taken seriously. Pivotally, the talking android differs in that it cannot just be an Uncle Tom figure subservient to white people. The android must be almost obnoxiously “black” in its prose; Hampton rethinks W.W. as a candidate for his boring language, the android must be subtle in its rejection of black culture. As the novel goes on, as a facto...