I'll just admit it, I am still thoroughly confused as to what Atonism is, so I decided to look it up online... which still didn't really help me. First off, I could barely find anything about Atonism itself, but I did find out that Atonism has to do with Aten. To sum up what I found in a nutshell, Aten was a radiant sun disk that was a manifestation of the sun god, Ra. During the reign of pharaoh Amenhotep IV (1367-1350 BC) Aten was taken to be the one, supreme god. The worship of Aten was manifested in the momentary monotheistic religion of Atenism in Egypt (after the reign of Amenhotep the Egyptians turned back to polytheism). So Atenism is supposedly one of the first monotheistic religions, but I still don't see how this ties into modern Atonism. All I know is that Atonism today has to do with Christians and Muslims, who are monotheists, but that's really the only connection I see.
When Atonism was first brought up in class, I felt as if the book portrayed Atonists badly, which led me to believe that the book was portraying Muslims and Christians badly. If you know me well, you know that I cannot stand anybody mocking my religion and its followers, or any of the other major religions, but what was I to say in class when I had no idea what Atonism was to begin with? I was also confused as to whether the book was actually portraying Atonists negatively in the first place or not (I'm currently pretty stuck on the answer being that the book does portray Atonists badly). And does the book portray all Muslims and Christians as being Atonist? Should I be offended about how this book portrays Atonists?
I could be wrong, but in Mumbo Jumbo, I don't think that Atonism is really a religious-centered idea. It's interesting that it has it's roots in egyptian religions, and monotheism, but I think in general, Atonists are people with the "if I can't dance, then nobody can" mentality and all that represents.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I don't think it's an accident that it's tied up with monotheism. Just like the book's portrayal of white people, and it's assertion that Jesus Christ was a "minor geek," this book does sort of try to make us uncomfortable. And I do think you have every right to be offended by that. But then again, I don't know how seriously we can take his apparent, offensive, stereotyping views of white people, western culture, and perhaps monotheism. Satire plays into it. It's not always obvious how...but I don't think much of this book can be taken at face value.
Super interesting post Haneen. Thanks for letting us know about some of the research you found :D
As far as I know, "Atonism" the way its used in this novel is an invention of Reed's. Chapters 52 do elaborate the "back story," and Sierra is right that in the novel Atonism is primarily linked originally with a general suspicion toward all things physical, "natural," musical, Dionysian. But Reed spins a larger narrative where, via Moses, Atonism is closely tied to the origins of the three great monotheistic religions. Reed associates any kind of mono-ness with a narrowness and an urge to regulate and control others' behavior (especially if they sound like they're having any fun)--and this way of thinking is linked to Marxism and Freudian psychology, so it extends beyond religion. My sense, though, is that anyone who hasn't read this novel would have no idea what you're referring to when you refer to "Atonism" as a real force in contemporary or historic culture. (But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, right? In Reed's picture of the world, its invisibility is its power.)
ReplyDeleteIzzy raised a good point in class today--that it's hard to see exactly where Islam fits into Reed's semi-serious cosmology. On the one hand, these are the cultures being pillaged by Christian armies under the muscle of the Knights Templar, and their sacred valuables kept in "art detention" in Western museums--it's clear which side the novel is on here. And Abdul is certainly on LaBas's side in most things (they are both viewed as enemies of Hinckle and his ilk). But Abdul is admittedly also depicted (perhaps unfairly) as censorious--protesting flappers outside the cabaret, and ultimately burning the Text. So there's an affinity between LaBas and Abdul, and they are allies in a number of ways, but ultimately Reed shows Abdul as representing a kind of split within Atonism. (Also, my sense is that Abdul represents the American Black Muslims/Nation of Islam rather than traditional Islam--Reed is maybe indirectly commenting on the much higher visibility of Black Muslims in the 1960s and 70s with this character.)