On October 13, 2016, performer, Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature. The announcement came as a shock, as many believe an artist such as Dylan is not deserving of this award because he does not follow in the footsteps of winners from the past. His song writing and iconic tracks seem to stray from what the Nobel Prize in Literature really means: an outstanding piece of literature, working in an ideal direction. Many people disagree with the selection of Dylan because they do not consider his poetic gift an outstanding work of literature; therefore, pointing out that the boundaries of literature are being redefined.
The musician is well-known for his songs about social issues such as war and civil rights, which were the most popular during the 20th century. Compared to authors such as Toni Morrison or Pablo Neruda, Dylan’s work has had trouble proving it deserves this prestigious award, opposed to the literary works of these two authors. Dylan was not an author. He was a song writer and a musician who expressed himself and many of the world’s issues in his folk-rock tracks. His music was controversial, but memorable. He sang about issues that were not openly discussed during his time. Dylan had a way of telling a story through his music, which is most likely the reason why he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Many, however, disagree and believe that he is redefining the boundaries of literature by being the first musician to ever win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Past winners of this award all have something in common: they wrote about an important issue in history and told a powerful story to teach their readers a lesson. Dylan, on the other hand, told his stories through music and song writing, which is why many believe it is unusual for him to be awarded an honor such as this one.
Despite the negative reactions of others, there are a good amount of people who are supportive of Dylan. Out of his many congratulators, fellow musician, Bruce Springsteen, and former president of the United States, Barack Obama, congratulate Dylan on his amazing accomplishment.
Dylan’s art will continue to be appreciated and will hopefully continue to open up opportunities for more artists to be recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature