Is Cohen More Jewish Than Dylan or vice versa? Why or Why Not?
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humanities/philosophy
school essay
published 04/06/2007
review : Completed
level : Advanced
requested 4 times
During the sixties, which came along with the Civil Rights movement, the diverse ethnic whites in the United States displayed an increase willingness to emphasize their distinct identity. Leonard Cohen and Robert Allen Zimmerman, alias Bob Dylan, were two major musical figures of this era. Both were Jews. Therefore, we can expect to find in their respective songs an assertion of their Jewish identity. However, Leonard Cohen seems to have been much more at ease and constant with his religion than Bob Dylan. Why can we say that and how may this be explained?
Table of Contents
- Several aspects of their lives may be considered to justify the argument that Cohen is, in a certain way, 'more Jewish' than Dylan
- In contrast, Bob Dylan never explicitly invokes his Jewish roots in his music, even if his Jewish influence always remains close to the surface.
- Some say Bob Dylan attempted to efface his Jewish origins to become a 'real American.?
- A significant aspect that illustrates this is the fact that Bob Dylan changed his name early to make it sound more American and destitute of any Jewish resonance
