Bob Dylan’s song “The Death of Emmett Till,” was written in
1955 after the traffic death of an African American boy Emmett Till. The
murderers of till were two white males who were then acquitted in the outrageous
subsequent trial. In the song, Bob Dylan directly calls out to his audiences,
which in his words are his “fellow [men].” He urges them to take action against
such hatred and discrimination in a nation where all men were supposedly created
equal. Finally, he pleads with them to “[give] all [they] could give… [to] make
this great land… a greater place to live.” Bob Dylan directs his song to more
than just his normal audiences and instead sings to the whole America, forcing
them to recognize the racism and cruelty that African Americans face not only
socially, but also in America’s supposedly “incorruptible” justice system.
-Ruoping Li
This was a good explanation of the importance of Emmett Till's death. It would have proven a stronger audience analysis if you had more directly stated who the intended listeners of this song were/are. You state that Dylan sings to all of America, but it would have been stronger if you elaborated on this point! Otherwise, good analysis.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah that a more specific audience could have been identified, but I do also think you are right in identifying all of America is Dylan's audience. Regardless of if someone was a fan of Dylan's music, they could hopefully set aside their taste in music and take away the message he is trying to relay with this song.
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