American Journal Of Philological Sciences
5
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue01 2025
PAGE NO.
5-7
10.37547/ajps/Volume05Issue01-02
The paradigm of social problems in detective-criminal
plot works
Xalilova Dilbar Jalilovna
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor at Turon University, Karshi, Uzbekistan
Received:
20 October 2024;
Accepted:
22 December 2024;
Published:
12 January 2025
Abstract:
The experiences, ideas, thoughts, and conclusions on the stage of the heart directly take human form
and move, live, suffer, seek goodness, trample someone, and sometimes even kill on the stage of the work.
Destruction and creation, death and survival are first processed in the grand mill of the writer's heart and then
embedded into the stage of the work, transforming into elements, details, objects, and people
—
this, as we know,
is the essential condition of poetry. This article discusses how these paradigmatic relationships acquire vitality and
authenticity through the creator's socio-philosophical conception.
Keywords:
Creator's psychology, philosophical conception, criminality, criminal character, plot, issue, social
environment.
Introduction:
One of the qualities characteristic of the
great examples of world literature is their emphasis on
philosophical and socio-ideological dimensions. For
instance, adventure, detective, criminal, or romantic
works also gain vitality and authenticity through their
philosophical conceptions.
In the 20th century, detective literature mainly spread
in the United States and England. Annually,
approximately five hundred detective novels are
published in these countries. Writers such as G.K.
Chesterton, A. Christie, E.C. Bentley, G.K. Bailey, A.
Barclay, D.S. Sayre (England), N. Marsh (New Zealand),
G. Leroux, M. Leblanc (France), S.S. Van Dine, D.
Hammett, and E. Queen (USA) are considered
prominent figures of 20th-century detective literature.
In detective-criminal works, alongside state law
enforcement officers, there is also a tradition of
depicting the activities of private detectives. In fact,
private investigators are often distinguished by their
more active, faster, and efficient work in solving crimes.
This feature was first depicted in Edgar Allan Poe's
works. For example, his story The Murders in the Rue
Morgue drew attention to the activities of the private
detective Dupin. Similar characteristics are seen in A.
Conan Doyle's works featuring Sherlock Holmes and in
Georges Simenon's works with the character of
Inspector Maigret, who have won the affection of
readers worldwide. This method was also effectively
used by the famous American writer Mark Twain in his
novella Pudd'nhead Wilson. The character Wilson,
nicknamed “Pudd’nhead” due to hi
s simplicity,
sincerity, and naive nature akin to Prince Myshkin from
F. Dostoevsky's The Idiot, secretly collects criminals'
fingerprints. Wilson easily solves complex crimes that
detectives and judges fail to resolve.
The novels of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Balzac, Walter Scott,
or Maupassant stand out primarily due to their
philosophical essence and profound depiction of social
realities of their time, emdiving a character of
populism and moral lessons.
After World War II, detective literature evolved,
particularly in France and the USA, to focus not on
solving hidden crimes through logical analysis but on
detailing the occurrence of crimes and the actions of
criminals, as seen in works like The Black Cat.
In literature, every criminal case is exposed through
sharp intellect and ingenuity, and crime is harshly
condemned. As a result, the plot becomes dynamic,
engaging, and impactful. Detective literature plays a
significant role in fostering vigilance and shaping
feelings of disdain towards criminals and murderers.
The thematic scope of detective literature has greatly
expanded. It now goes beyond criminal themes to
include events such as uncovering thefts of inventions,
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
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American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
discoveries, historical documents, and manuscripts.
It is well known that Dostoevsky began working on his
novel The Brothers Karamazov in the later years of his
life, a work he had contemplated for a long time. This
substantial novel holds special significance not only in
the writer's oeuvre but also in the history of world
literature. Its content vividly portrays the author's
profound relationship with humanity and society,
reflecting a highly humanistic spirit.
The writer's intention to compose this conflict-rich
novel was described by one of his contemporaries, the
publisher and journalist Alexey Suvorin, who wrote:
"Dostoevsky wants to write a novel about the
relationship between individuals and society; Alyosha
Karamazov first goes to a monastery, then becomes a
revolutionary, is politically accused, and is severely
punished, almost to the point of execution. Eventually,
in his search for truth, he reaches the path of
revolution."
Unfortunately, the author was unable to complete the
novel in its entirety. Although it narrates the history of
one family, it also addresses themes such as the court
and the press, school and nation, church and
revolution. The character of Alyosha Karamazov serves
as a synthesis of Dostoevsky’s own personality and his
political and social views, making him a bright
representative of the unique Karamazov family lineage.
The novel The Brothers Karamazov, the fifth book in the
series The Five Great Books, which is based on the ideas
of the Holy Gospel, features a detective-criminal plot
that explores significant issues of the transient world.
The balance between crime and punishment is
depicted alongside contrasts such as guilt versus purity,
violence versus innocence, and the tears of an innocent
child juxtaposed against the authoritarianism and
brutality of the Karamazov worldview.
Some representatives of world literature and art have
also experienced tragic events in their lives, such as the
untimely loss of their children. It can be observed that
the tragedy of losing a child strengthens these creative
minds’ ability to philosophically comprehend and
interpret ideas of good and evil, life and death,
existence and struggle.
Following the devastating loss of his beloved child, F.
Dostoevsky fell into deep despair and retreated to a
remote wilderness with his philosopher friend Vladimir
Solovyov. On Solovyov's advice, Dostoevsky visited the
elderly priest Amvrosiy (Grenkov), listened to his wise
counsel, and found solace and even inspiration in this
meeting. Revitalized, Dostoevsky returned to his
creative work. According to the writer's wife, Anna
Grigoryevna, the benevolent prayers of Father
Amvrosiy were later reflected in the novel The Brothers
Karamazov, in the consoling words spoken by Father
Zosima to a grieving mother who had lost her child.
In general, the ideological and philosophical depth of
The Brothers Karama
zov owes much to Dostoevsky’s
attention to the spiritual teachings of Jesus Christ and
his interpretation of the profound thoughts and
persona of Father Zosima. For instance, Zosima, as a
symbol of goodness and faith, delivers spiritual advice
such as: "Oh, my child, do not forget to pray," and "... if
the priceless image of Christ did not stand before us,
humanity would be lost and doomed, like one facing a
storm." These words, imbued with divine light, define
the novel's ideological and philosophical pathos.
It is known that some famous works were inspired by
the ideas or themes suggested by people close to the
author or intellectuals. For example, Ferdowsi's epic
Shahnameh was proposed by the enlightened ruler
Mahmud of Ghazni; Gogol’s The Inspector Gener
al and
Dead Souls were suggested by Pushkin; Edgar Allan
Poe’s detective stories The Murders in the Rue Morgue
and The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, as well as Jack
London's detective novel Hearts of Three, were written
under pressure from profit-driven publishers who
demanded they be completed within extremely short
deadlines due to the authors’ significant debts.
Such challenging circumstances also marked the
creation of Honoré de Balzac's The Magic Skin and
Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Gambler, both of which
belong to the detective-criminal genre and reflect their
authors' troubled literary destinies.
In many of his works, F. Dostoevsky explored the
motives behind murder, philosophically interpreting
how criminal policies and an unjust society could
directly lead individuals
—
especially the simple, needy,
and impoverished
—
into crime. He depicted the
activities of criminal characters through unexpected,
gripping, and at times magical realism perspectives
while creating dynamic plot structures enriched with
philosophical and social ideas. For instance, one of the
central themes in Dostoevsky's globally renowned
novel *Crime and Punishment* is the critique of the sin
of usury.
In the novel Crime and Punishment, the typical image
of a usurer, the decrepit and miserly old landlady
Alyona Ivanovna, is shown to receive her deserved
punishment in this world without having to descend
into the flames of hell.
Alyona Ivanovna’s character appears only briefly in the
first couple of chapters of the novel. The primary focus
of the narrative
—
spanning about 90% of the work
—
centers on the investigation of her murder, delving into
the chaotic realities of Russian life at that time, and
American Journal Of Philological Sciences
7
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajps
American Journal Of Philological Sciences (ISSN
–
2771-2273)
exploring the fate of downtrodden individuals like
Rodion Raskolnikov. Dostoevsky does not explicitly
condemn Raskolnikov for the murder. The decrepit old
woman, who might have died naturally at any moment,
serves as a narrative tool to highlight a deeper truth:
her fate, whether through murder or natural causes,
was bound to end in death and, symbolically, in hell. At
the same time, the novel illustrates the grim social
reality of bourgeois Russia, where individuals like
Raskolnikov are driven to desperate acts, including
crime, due to the harshness of their circumstances.
“In world literature, works that
address the issue of
usury often conclude with the death of corrupt,
exploitative figures. Dostoevsky provides a profound
and nuanced analysis of the relationship between
Raskolnikov and the usurer Alyona Ivanovna. Through
this, he examines complex ethical issues, such as the
young man’s abhorrence and subsequent moral
turmoil at the idea of killing a miserly old woman for
wealth. Dostoevsky explores this with remarkable
depth, particularly through psychological analysis and
the narrative voice's introspect
ion.”
Furthermore, the novel’s philosophical weight is not
only tied to its ethical dilemmas but also to its broader
ideological resonance. As critics observe, “Dostoevsky’s
creative style reveals that the primary perpetrator is
the existing system itself, which fosters a shared
ideological and social guilt.”
All of this reflects not merely the imagination of the
author but the anguished cries of a compassionate
heart longing for humanity’s redemption. In all works
with detective, adventure, or criminal themes, we see
Dostoevsky defending and championing the causes of
humanity, goodness, and justice. Whatever complex
ideas, struggles, or dilemmas were emblematic of the
era are embodied within these works. The author’s
heart acts as a mirror to his times, and the reflections
captured within this mirror manifest as raw and painful
truths etched onto the pages of his novels.
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