Towards a cosmopolitan worldview: investigating the process of de-bordering through Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s In Dependence

Abstract

ABSTRACT Postcolonialism has brought forth the atrocities, violence and exploitations perpetrated by imperialism; it has also created borders between colonisers and colonised. With the passage of time and subsequent changes in the global socio-political scenario, the ‘skeptical school’ of postcolonial thoughts seems to have failed in providing any new direction towards the new conditions. In contrast, cosmopolitan theorists recognize the human connection and communication across borders, made possible after colonial dominance, as an opportunity to establish a new global political order. Unlike conservative postcolonial thinkers, cosmopolitans advocate for a global society based on human solidarity, compassion, equality, and de-bordering. Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s novel, In Dependence (2019), portrays Tayo, a young Nigerian, and Venessa, the daughter of a retired British colonial officer, as the main protagonists. The novel illustrates how the characters, through their struggles and experiences, gradually acquire a cosmopolitan attitude towards life in their quest for peace and stability. This study analyses the novel from a cosmopolitan perspective by juxtaposing the different mentalities of the characters and reflecting upon the novel’s focus on de-bordering to establish a global society based on universal brotherhood and peace.