Cosmopolitan Ideal in Timothy Mo’s An Insular Possession

Bibliographic Data

ID20249303
AuthorsShenghao Hu (0009-0007-7767-3851, Queen Mary University of London, corresponding author), Zhenhua Ni (0000-0002-6316-2256, Nanyang Technological University), Zengxin Ni (0000-0002-9978-2932)
Year2025
Volume14
Issue5
Pages98
Publication date2025-04-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHumanities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2076-0787 • E-ISSN: 2076-0787
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/h14050098
OpenAlexW4409813728
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited15

Hong Kong-born British writer Timothy Mo’s novel An Insular Possession (1986) focuses on the First Opium War (1839–1842) and critically examines global inequalities. This article explores cosmopolitanism as a potential framework for mitigating cross-cultural conflicts. Instead of embracing cosmopolitanism as an inherently positive vision, the novel critiques two cosmopolitan worldviews—British colonialism and the Chinese Tianxia concept—and reveals the potential complicity of cosmopolitanism in consolidating hierarchical world orders. Through the protagonist Gideon Chase, an American expatriate engaged in studying Chinese language and culture, Mo envisions a de-colonial cosmopolitan vision that seeks to transcend the center/margin dynamic and fosters more equitable cross-cultural interactions. Gideon’s ultimate failure to alleviate Sino–British tensions prompts reflections on global justice and underscores the urgent need to establish a cosmopolitan world order marked by peace, mutual respect and tolerance of difference

Art · Epistemology · Linguistics · Japanese History and Culture · Philosophy · Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies · Travel Writing and Literature