Problem of identification in cosmopolitan context: empathy, conflict and balance in Surrealismo do Quotidiano by Djina

Journal article

Djina's debut novel, Surrealismo do Quotidiano(2014), follows an Angolan migrant in the United Kingdom on a journey of self-discovery as the protagonist tests the possibilities of cosmopolitanism. Employing the first-person, metafictional narrative, the novel traces the protagonist's confusion as she navigates the conflicts between the values and tradition of her country of origin and that of her adopted home, particularly in her interpersonal relations and in her capacity to confront mysteries. This article probes the problem of identification by examining the individual's nonconformity and a constant condition of uprootedness. While Djina presents a generally positive view of world citizenship by showing the abilities of imagination and empathy developed through transcultural experiences, the narrator's fraught position between Angolan and Western cultures forces the reader to question the limitation of cosmopolitanism.

Authors: Huang, L

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
• Journal: Romance Notes
• Volume: 65
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 245-255
• Publication date: 2026-03-01
• Acceptance date: 2025-09-18
• DOI: 10.1353/rmc.2025.a984202
• EISSN: 2165-7599
• ISSN: 0035-7995
• Language: English