Wives

One of the most interesting aspects, in my opinion, is Dylan's discussion of his family in New Morning and Oh Mercy.  In the former, its clear that family is his primary concern.  He speaks of his futile attempt to raise his children, to live with his wife, in a somewhat normal fashion.  He is constantly trying to evade his fame--he even goes so far as to put out two records (Nashville Skyline and Self Portrait) that he hoped would put distance between himself and his reputation, essentially sacrificing his craft to regain his privacy.  His priorities are clear; he has no use for the significance others ascribe to him, and his care is for his family alone.

Oh Mercy, on the other hand, is markedly different; most of it is devoted to him discovering a new way to compose songs, a new way to express himself.  He seeks to rediscover his passion for music, and a lot of Oh Mercy actually deals with his making of the titular album. His family is referenced throughout, but they aren't the focus of the chapter.

What's important to note is that he's not really talking about the same family in both chapters.  Dylan doesn't dedicate a chapter to the mid-1970s, but it was during that period that his first wife, Sara Lowndes, who he refers to throughout New Morning as his wife, divorced him.  In 1986, he remarried, this time to a former backup singer named Carol Dennis.  He refers to Dennis as wife all through Oh Mercy, but, interestingly, never mentions either Lowndes or Dennis by name.  They are both referred to as his wife; without any prior knowledge of Dylan's personal life, there is no reason to suspect he is even referring to different people.  Perhaps most intriguing is that his first marriage, at least given the evidence of these two chapters, seems much more critical to him; the devotion to being a family man he displays in New Morning has at least dwindled in Oh Mercy.  How should we view this?  As a sign that Dylan, by the late 1980s, had accepted his role as a public figure and no longer sought so desperately to evade it?  That his first wife simply meant more to him?  Its these kind of questions that probably won't be answered, but they're certainly worth considering.