Imagining a Kenyan Cosmopolitanism in Dance of the Jakaranda by Peter Kimani

Abstract

Cosmopolitanism is a broad term that carries a wide range of definitions, ranging from sociopolitical, geography, anthropology, philosophy, and literature. It is a highly contested term that has sparked scholarly debates across different disciplines to date. It is associated with the concept that all humanity belongs to a single community, and we should be ready to embrace the virtue of oneness. Cosmopolitanism then carries a close relevance to geographical issues, globalization, transnational movements, migration, multiculturalism, and living with differences. In this project, therefore, I have examined how the writer of the novel Dance of the Jakaranda has deployed the geographical space of the Club Jakaranda Hotel to mirror a country‘s cosmopolitan outlook where we meet some characters who portray some of the traits of a cosmopolitan. In addition, Peter Kimani has integrated some of the symbols in an attempt to build a nation‘s cosmopolitan outlook. I, therefore, conclude by saying that cosmopolitanism focuses on the inherent worthiness of human beings regardless of where they are. Neither national boundaries nor one‘s tribe or race should be allowed to divide people and demonise those on the other side.