Literary notes about Cosmopolitan (AI summary)
The term cosmopolitan is used in literature to evoke a sense of worldly sophistication and an ability to navigate diverse cultural landscapes. In sociological and philosophical works, it often describes a person who adapts readily to varying social codes and international ideas, as seen in discussions of modern society and broad human connections [1][2]. Conversely, novelists use it to sketch characters who either embrace or are humorously burdened by a claim to global identity, suggesting both charm and irony in their international appeal [3][4]. In other contexts, the adjective extends to describe cities or phenomena that are inherently diverse and marked by the mingling of various cultures and ideals [5][6], reinforcing a literary exploration of the tension between local particularism and global unity.
- The cosmopolitan is the person who readily accommodates himself to the codes of conduct of new social milieus.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park - Hence all theoretical schemes, connected with constitutional, international or cosmopolitan law, crumble away into empty impracticable ideals.
— from Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Essay by Immanuel Kant - But Cecil, since his engagement, had taken to affect a cosmopolitan naughtiness which he was far from possessing.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - “She’s a cosmopolitan,” said Charles, looking at his watch.
— from Howards End by E. M. Forster - There were sombre-clad Jews of all nationalities, Armenians, Greeks, Russians, and all the peoples who make Jerusalem the most cosmopolitan of cities.
— from How Jerusalem Was WonBeing the Record of Allenby's Campaign in Palestine by W. T. (William Thomas) Massey - Villette is a cosmopolitan city, and in this school were girls of almost every European nation, and likewise of very varied rank in life.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë
