Dylan was and is an American original. He seems to elicit strong feelings pro and con, but he also probably is just puzzled by that. Anyone who has an interest in him should by all means watch “No Direction Home” a lengthy documentary/interview/bio by Martin Scorsese. BTW Dylan is still putting out studio albums.
Dylan does not like being a political or religious icon, that’s for sure.
The guys who were his best friends growing up said he wanted to be Elvis, but he didn’t have the presence for that. He took the beatnik route.