Virginia's Paper (by Wanda)

Virginia’s paper is about Bob Dylan’s Chronicles and Simmel’s essay, “The Stranger.” She argues that Dylan purposefully distances himself from the reader, who reads the book in order to get a closer perspective on his life, and decides to rather remain a stranger, like the one described in Simmel’s essay. Thus, Virginia’s essay analyzes Dylan’s style of writing that plays around with the persona and identity, and how it portrays Dylan as the “Stranger.” The thesis explains three aspects of Dylan’s writing that puts distance between him and the reader: labeling himself as the Outsider, admitting a part of his life that most people have no idea of, and depicting himself as a free vagabond, or a frontiersman. The antithesis is that sometimes Dylan tries to actively reach out for the reader and minimize the distance. Yet, the thesis and antithesis synthesizes into Virginia’s conclusion that Dylan’s promotion of both distance and connection he remains a mystical and mythical figure, undermining our hopes to know him better.

I would like some more explanation about the antithesis and how it reaffirms Dylan’s status as a stranger, in relation to Simmel’s essay. Does the sense of connection and closeness act as a camouflage, to trick the reader into knowing him well? Or is it another veil, another actual step Dylan takes back from the readers?