The Importance Of Cosmopolitan In Angela Carter's 'Puss In Boots'

To be cosmopolitan, do you need to have left the country? Is it possible to truly know about other parts of the world without first travelling there? Sure, cultures and people and places can be studied, but can you really understand it if you haven’t seen and experienced it? Because Puss, in Angela Carter’s “Puss-in-Boots” believes that he is a cosmopolitan, but never shows any signs of having ever left Italy. Without any doubt, Puss is knowledgeable about the world around him. He references operas, places, dances, architecture, artwork, politicians, and mythology, among other things. But is he a cosmopolitan? According to the English Oxford Dictionary, a cosmopolitan is someone who is “familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures.” The problem is, he is only acquainted with Europe. He mentions an Italian opera, cities in Europe, Spanish dances, European architecture, Italian art, and Greek and Roman mythology. If a cosmopolitan is really a “person of the world”, then wouldn’t that mean he would need to have, even a little, knowledge about the countries on other continents? …show more content…
Though they are all in Europe, they still contribute to his knowledge of the world. Puss proves he is familiar with Italy in many aspects, from performances to cities to paintings. Many aspects of the story are derived from the Italian street performance, Commedia Dell’arte. The husband of the woman, Signor Panteleone, is based off a character from the performances. The character Harlequin is also a character from Commedia Dell’arte. He mentions Italian cities such as Bergamo and Milano. The last distinct Italy reference was to the Mona Lisa. Puss says “Those small, cool, quiet Mona Lisa smiles that smile we must, no matter whether it’s been fun or it’s been not”(69). This tells the reader that he has seen the Mona Lisa, or at least knows of her famous