Ross Green's Paper

Ross’s paper discusses the transformation from Bob Dylan’s mere recognition of , to his sharp disdain for, his identification with Georg Simmel’s “stranger.” The paper starts off explaining the characteristics that identify Dylan with Simmel’s “stranger”—the “inorganic appendage” that ties him to New York City, his potential for wandering, and his objectivity. It continues with describing how Dylan begins to identify himself with the “stranger,” or as Ross states, “Dylan’s recognition of his own role.” Dylan begins to understand the rift that separates himself from the folk music community and the places he travels; he will be a perpetual stranger to a place. However, Dylan expands where Simmel has not gone, as Ross discusses “the specific substance and transitivity of a sociological form.” Ultimately, Ross discusses how Dylan’s discomfort with this form and idea of the “stranger” causes him to reject it later in life, forming the antithesis of the paper. Ross concludes that Simmel’s “stranger” allows the reader to better understand Dylan, but Dylan also furthers Simmel’s “resilient” definition of the stranger.

In order to expand this paper, I would discuss how Dylan’s elaboration of Simmel’s “stranger” could be defined. Ross does a wonderful job of following and explaining the transformation to the climax and antithesis of Dylan's rejection. But when Simmel is no longer a resource, postulating exactly what Dylan specifically adds to the "stranger" definition in unchartered territory would allow for added synthesis; how exactly does Dylan further Simmel's "stranger."