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As I read through the pages of DeLillo's "Cosmopolis", I couldn't quite figure out his stance on Globalization as it stands today. I quickly took to Google (as most do), to find any sources that might hint to either his avid approval of or his extreme objection against this process of international convergence. While the novel hones in on a young billionaire's journey through New York while simultaneously losing his fortune in one day, it seems more focused on the locality of globalization and its role in the global marketplace rather than the consumer, as many of DeLillo's previous work seems to be more drawn to (I'm referring specifically to his 1985 novel "White Noise"). Considering the novel's protagonist, Eric Packer, is a broker in New York, it's clear he deals with many individuals that make up most of his international influence. However it's his encounters on the streets of his own city that encapsulate this globalization that resonates throughout the narrative. In essence the plot revolves around his making his way across town to get a haircut. A simple plot, however it's the moments of significance, notably his encounter with an anti-globalization riot, the President's motorcade as well as the funeral of a Sufi rap star, that move the story forward, paving the way for readers to understand what globalization is to DeLillo. Essentially it isn't made up of individual "markets" made up of individual consumers but instead everything runs through one global market. The quotation that quickly follows the dedication in the novel reads "a rat became the unit of currency". To me this means that everything is connected. Just as rats live on even following demise and destruction, it becomes the thing that can bind nations even after a fall and this is essentially why DeLillo writes about all of these different surroundings that Eric becomes enthralled in. Basically he uses the New York setting, considering it is so awash with cultural diversity, as a backdrop for this immense cultural and global connection. And what's best about this novel is that DeLillo doesn't deny his loyal readers his famous satirical charm. As Eric coasts through New York's imitation of the global market, he does so in the comfort of his everything-proof limousine. Even during these seemingly chaotic happenings, he still finds the time to have a medical checkup, while simultaneously conducting important business meetings, which I think most readers can agree is not only highly unlikely but also highly uncomfortable. Not only that but he has numerous screens projecting conferences, news stories and stock updates that he watches on the way to his haircut, while occasionally stopping by his numerous mistresses' apartments. I think it's interesting to compare Eric to a character like Misha Vainberg. While Misha claims to be a citizen of the globe, Shteyngart does a good job at poking fun at Misha's idea of a Cosmopolitan. Misha actually has seen a very great deal of the world and thinks he has the right to speak on its behalf, but really he just represents this superficial idea of true globalization. DeLillo on the other hand doesn't focus on the way Eric encompasses this Cosmopolitan image but instead how his surroundings are the better representation of globalization. Through Eric's encounters with these globalized representations, we see more how the individual works within this global market more so than drawing absolute focus on the individual himself.