Julius In Open City Globalization

those who move out of necessity have no other options left and have no choice but to face the hardships ahead of them, On a larger scale, Julius’ interactions with the city show how much globalization has impacted the world as a whole. It is now normal to have mixed races interacting with each other, different cultures practicing their own beliefs, people speaking different languages, etc. “The pilot announced the final approach for landing, in English, French, and Flemish”. (Cole 94). Definitions have become less important, which is a positive aspect, however the transformation of globalization also has lead those who have the most resources and socio-economic power to prosper the most; they do not have to worry about being discriminated

Teju Cole, who is a Nigerian-American writer, chose to create Julius as a Nigerian-American psychiatrist. Cole , in a way, acts as his own psychiatrist through Julius in Open City by examining how having a transnational identity affects relationships to other people and environments, and interrogates how globalization functions. Michael Ondaatje, who is a Sri-Lankan born Canadian writer, chose to create Michael as a Sri-Lankan born boy who ends up residing in Canada as a writer. Michael from The Cat’s Table utilizes his writing as a way to make sense of his transnationality and the effects of globalization on his identity, which could be what Ondaatje is doing through his character. The similarities between Cole and Ondaatje are striking, and also offer a sense of verification and validity to their depiction of globalization and its effect on transnational identities throughout their novels; they are speaking from experience. The similarities between the two’s perspectives regarding the topic are also strikingly similar--adding to the validity and developing a concrete explanation. Each writer has their distinct, personal definition of globalization, however unignorable similarities exist between the

With its major role in forming our global network, understanding every component of globalization and what the term encompasses is crucial to understand how it affects identity, specifically transnational identity. Expression, interrogation, and transformation of globalization can be examined through looking at the narratives of Julius in Open City and Michael in The Cat’s Table. The amount of issues that are relevant on a global scale, such as war, nationality, immigration, and who is in power, show how crucial recognizing globalization in it’s entirety is; understanding how it will affect transnational people is even more crucial. If we, as a global network, neglect to address the imbalances regarding the effect of globalization on transnational and non-transnational people, we will face even more issues than we already have that will impact not just some, but everyone. What comes next with our globalized world is up to us, and is our