So a couple weeks ago, I found an interesting article on the Atlantic posted here: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/multiple-personalities/3. Based purely on the title, I thought that the article would be vindication of Dylan's use of multiple selves in both I'm Not There and Chronicles.
However, the more I read of the article, the more is realized that the article was about Acosta. While reading the book, I have had trouble reconciling the character in the book with the information I had know about Acosta in real life. One on hand, here is a man that a famous civil rights lawyer for the rising Mexican movement with the U.S. On the other hand, here is a man who binges drinks, does drugs, and has sex with prostitutes on an incredibly dangerous basis. Based on the article, these two personalities are not only constructs but two individuals inhabiting the same body. Throughout the book, the side of Acosta that gives in to short term impulses has simple superceded all of his other selves. Then, as soon as the side of him finds a cause that seems to be greater than himself and worth fighting for,the "moral" side of Acosta seems to come to the forefront.
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2 comments:
I agree completely with the fact that Acosta has multiple personalities that are fighting to take over Acosta. It is important to take the note of the fact that the different cultures and social groups in his life force his multiple personalities to fight over him. I think it is even more important to note the fact that Acosta does not try to hide the fact that he has multiple personalities.
In the beginning of the book, he even looks in the mirror and makes three different faces. It could be interesting to trace these faces throughout the book, and maybe even see if one of them applies to the article.
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