A Cosmopolite in a Café by O Henry : Summary

The narrator meets a man named E. Rushmore Coglan in a café. Coglan talks proudly about travelling all over the world.

He says he does not belong to any one country or city. He calls himself a “citizen of the world.” The narrator believes he has found a true cosmopolite.

But later, Coglan gets into a big fight because another man insulted his hometown (Mattawamkeag, Maine). He becomes very angry and defends it strongly.

This shows that even though he claimed to love the whole world, he was still very attached to his own little hometown.

Message: People may say they are global citizens, but deep inside, they always love and protect their birthplace.