theconversation.com: In the recently released film Blinded by the Light, Pakistani teenager Javed discovers commitment and courage through the music of Bruce Springsteen. Based on journalist Sarfraz Manzoor’s 1980s memoir, the dreams and frustrations of a working-class boy from Luton, north of London are given wings by the experience of another working-class boy from Freehold, New Jersey. Inspired, Javed shares his writings and his feelings.
4 comments:
The title of this article drew me in with its bold claim. I just had to find out how anyone could compare Bruce Springsteen and Aristotle, and not only compare them, but to claim they are on the same level. Springsteen’s music is shown through a new film of a young boy trying to escape the working class. Spingsteen’s music has aspects of self insight as his dad was a working class man and expected his son to be as well, but Bruce wanted to make music. The article does not go much into detail about the movie it starts the discussion with. One thing I do like about this article is that due to it being a comparison, the article is really well organized with an intro, one section on Aristotle, one section on Springsteen, and a conclusion tying the two together while also talking about Springsteen’s autobiographical musical. The article did not, however, go into much detail about how Springsteen and Aristotle are very similar. They did correlate each of their ideals to each other, so there is that.
I definitely agree with Bianca that the title of this article is quite shocking and enough to draw in someone who has never really liked Bruce Springsteen. However, I have to disagree with the claim, and not just because of its absurdity. Throughout this article I noticed that Beadle is comparing Springsteen to the ideals of Aristotle, but hard work, courage, and deeply established friendships are not something unique to Bruce. It just so happens that he has a platform to show and discuss these values, but he isn't really an original in these respects. Also, it should be considered in this comparison that there is a difference in living by the values of a famous philosopher and being an equal. To me, the legacy of Aristotle is not his ideas, but the way that he spread his philosophies and ideas. While I appreciate that Beadle is thinking outside the box, the overall idea seems a bit underdeveloped and I think he needed a lot more evidence to make this argument convincing.
Like the other two expressed, the title of the article was bold and shocking but the comparison drawn between Springsteen and Aristotle was vague and surface level. While it was structured well with information on both men, there was a lack of true insight into their similarities and differences. The titles main claim also isn't supported well enough to truly satisfy the reader in its bold statement. While both advocated for wisdom, insight, and courage these traits can be seen in many people who were revolutionary or talented enough to become famous. While Springsteen's music helped lead Javed away from what life told him he should become, that does not make Springsteen akin to the likes of Aristotle.
While I love Springsteen’s music and agree he is an incredibly talented lyricist, I do think the comparison between he and Aristotle is a bit of a stretch, at least as the two are compared through this article. The similarities between the two are very loose it seems, with very little being done to really connect the two besides the thought that both were activists. Much of the argument developed throughout the essay is explaining aspects of each of the two people, but neglecting to officially connect them or their ideas.
I could see a solid connection between these two people being created, but with no official relation between the two, I don’t believe the author’s point. It is also fair to mention that for each person, a certain shift of ideals and portrayal of ideals occurs depending on the field of work. While Springsteen said he initially did not wish to be a rock performer, he still ultimately was one. Aristotle, on the other hand, was a distinguished author and philosopher. Each profession sort of creates its own effect on the world, and ultimately, I do think Aristotle has had the larger effect in history, in the worlds of literacy and philosophy. Such a comparison proves difficult between two abstract characters as Bruce Springsteen and Aristotle, but it becomes even more difficult with a lack of legitimate comparative evidence between the two. The comparison could have very well been made, but I think the article was simply just poorly written to do so.
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