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THE HISTORY OF ORIGIN OF DRABBLES UZBEK AND ENGLISH
LITERATURE
Kosimova Azizakhon Botirali Qizi
English Teacher, Department of Foreign Languages,
Fergana State University, Fergana
ORCID ID: 009-0002-6086548X
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12179267
Abstract:
In Uzbek and English literature,
drabbles
are a relatively new
genre
in modern
literature
. This article discusses the significance, purpose, and
history
of this genre. We all know that the study of literature is a fascinating and
expanding field. As a result, there have been numerous advancements and
changes in this
field.
It can be asserted that the development of drabbles is not
an ancient history. The article focuses on deep an analysis of drabbles, which are
short stories
of less than 100 words that date back to 1980. According to the
analysis of drabbles in both languages’ literature, drabbles originated in
English
literature
, moved to
Uzbek literature
, and still evolving today. The drabble
genre demands more effort from the writer due to its intricacy compared to the
narrative genre
. The reason is that a writer only needs story writing skill to
convey a
story
in just 100 words. Nevertheless, well-known
authors
of stories
in both Uzbek and English eventually experimented with drabble and gained
success. In addition, this article examines well-known drabble authors and their
creations.
Key words:
Drabbles, genre, literature, history, field, short story, English
literature, Uzbek literature, narrative genre, story, authors, creations.
Introduction
As we know, today the most fields in the world are developing day by day
for instance, in literary studies a number of changes and development are
happening.
The formal and substantive advancement of Uzbek and international literature
produces original innovations and offers readers engrossing and perceptive
works. Additionally, literary communication advances genre studies and helps
writers and readers conform to modern standards.
Specifically, the story genre
is evolving and entering new phrases. The genre of stories is broad and has
many different classifications. We can find the writings of numerous well-known
authors in the narrative genre, along with their perspectives on it.
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Literary studies, both international and Uzbek, have extensively examined
the distinctive features of the story genre. Regarding the story genre, for
instance, Norwegian literary critic Juan Rulfo stated, “I think the story is a more
difficult and responsible genre than the novel”
1
. This concept highlights the
duties of a small work and the weight put on the narrative genre. Because of its
intricacy and uniqueness from other genres, the narrative genre demands a
great deal of creativity from its writers. However, stories that deviate from the
narrative genre which has grown in popularity among writers are also emerging
in recent years.
In both Uzbek and English literature stories are getting shorter, which
motivates writers to improve their story creation skills. As we know there
is not any kind of size restriction when writing a novel or story, so the
authors can freely show their deep feelings.
Kichik hikoyalar ingliz tilida
“flash fiction” deb nomlanib, bu hajman juda qisqa badiiy asar hisoblanadi
.
Many views on the characteristics of short stories and their categories
have been expressed in various places. Particulary, some works that focus
on the needs of the rapidly evolving social networks of today are assessed
as “a story with a total length of 280 characters (known as “Twitterature”
because it is the most characters that can be posted on the social media
platform Twitter)”
2
. These cases are different, though, in that they do not
rely on literary theories. According to another viewpoint on short stories
“dribble is also short story however it includes only 50 words”
3
. This
theoretical perspective is unique in that it departs from the conventions
that are widely acknowledge among literary scholars. “Sudden fiction” is
defined as stories that are no lomger than 750 words.
4
Furthermore, the genre requirements of the small-scale dwarf story we
are examining are not met by this point of view. One kind of story is called a
“micro story”, and it has 1000 words.
5
These divergent viewpoints on short
stories can be understood as phases in the evolution of short works. For
Y.Solijonov . Hozirgi adabiy jarayon: o‘quv qo‘llanma.-T.: Innovatsion ziyo, 2020. - bet 63
2
"Twitter Fiction Reveals. The Power of Very, Very Short Stories"
The Huffington
Post
. (May 7, 2015).
3
Graham
"Flash fiction - all you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask..."
The Bridport Prize
.
(March 8, 2013).
4
Becky Tuch. "Flash Fiction: What's It All About?".
The Review Review
.
2019-02-16
5
Christopher Kasparek, "Two Micro-Stories by Bolesław Prus",
99-103.
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instance, “drabbles are short stories that are shorter than 100 words”.
6
Such
perspectives and studies of the routes followed to arrive at a single form or
conclusion will undoubtedly encourage the development of an ideal theory.
Materials and methods
Society is evolving and changing all the time. Psychological uniformity is
disliked by the human mind. Thus, common to all art forms are their diversity
and steady advancement. As a creative tool, literature coexists with these
mechanisms. Within artistic works, alterations in structure, contents, and idea
renewal are normal and consistent, indicating both a high degree of writers’ skill
and the work’s level of perfection. Drabbles are one of the contemporary,
emerging literary forms that require this kind of precision. Drabble began as a
kind of narrative and evolved into its own direction. In world literary studies,
drabbles have already developed into their own distinct genre. The narrative
genre in literature is smaller in scope and expression than larger stories. The
story stands out because its goal is to convey big ideas in brief visuals and
expose big issues in a brief episode. In world literature, real ideas must be
presented in brief forms within the predefined parameters of the narrative
genre in order to expose significant issues. Drabble originated as a result of
these actions. Their formation is influenced by folk
art.
Writers of short stories ought to be able capture existing realities in a
limited number of words. With their skill, writers ought to be able to condense
significant events into a mere 100 words. For this reason, writing a short story is
enjoyable and challenging at the same time. The number of authors producing
short stories has been rising recently, despite the genre’s recent inception.
Drabbles are the most popular kind of stories mentioned above. 20
th
century
short stories are referred to as “drabble” in world literature. The English
language gave rise to the word “drabble”, which means “ fragment”. “in 1971,
Monty Pyton’s Big Red Book introduced the term drabble, describing it as a
word game in which participants write novels.”
7
There are different views
regarding the origin of drabble, which is thought to be native to Great Britian.
However, the drabble genre began to take shape in the 1980s. Drabble
originated around this time as a result of a word game developed by University
of Birmingham students. After that drabbles started showing up in newspaper
texts. The “New Times” maganize’s founder, Steve Moss, established a short
6
Graham
"Flash fiction - all you ever wanted to know, but were afraid to ask..."
The Bridport Prize
.
(March 8, 2013).
7
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story competition in 1987 that had a significant impact on the global spread of
drabbles. Writing drabbles is slowly expanding to other countries UK writers
are required to write a brief piece of less than 100 words that includes a
complete solution. Drabbles were mostly produced as a result of writing
contests where participants had to produce 100 short pieces on a given subject
over a certain period of time.
“Writers of short stories are compelled by the volume requirements to
condense words and symbols in order to convey greater meaning, while readers
are afforded the opportunity to appreciate the unique artistic example and
experience awe”.
8
Drabbles have several special features. For instance;
It should cover the shortest and most comprehensive reality;
It should end with an unexpected solution;
It should provide a brief history of the reality.
“On the other hand, there are instances where short stories interpreted as
mini-stories, or drabbles, rather than as a distinct genre in world literature”.
9
However, the fact that these kinds of works have been published and that
readers find them interesting is what matters most for the literary process. The
structure and themes of these short stories are being studied by literary
scholars.
“Dripping water” is a drabble by Aleksandr Sergeevich Neverov, the author
of “Tashkent- the city of bread.” It explains that people should strive to do good
in any circumstance using the example of a sparrow.
“Forest was burning. Once it reached the river, the sparrow carried the
water in its mouth and flew into the forest. As the forest burned, one of the
animals laughed and yelled;
-
“Hey, will you save the forest with a drop of water?”
-
what can I do, that’s all I can do, the sparrow said.”
10
This drabble demonstrates the writer’s skill to us quite well. The reason is
that this short piece combines three drabble traits. It contains the actual history
expressed in the sentence “The forest was burning.” It’s common knowledge that
history provides insight into the past. A forest fire is described in this sentence
of this drabble. Why did the author decide to focus this drabble on the forest?
Жилина Л. В. Короче! Short-short story в современной японской литературе // Окно в Японию.
Драббллар. Dunyoning eng kichik hikoyalari. “O‘qituvchi nashriyot-matbaa ijodiy uyi”, 2018. — 6
б.
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This is because the forest will experience terrible and strong fires. Additionally,
this sentence describes reality as an extremely challenging situation in which all
animals are helpless. The following line of the short story above is, “what can I
do, that’s all I can do” is a succinct and complete reality. That’s because the
author did not just randomly select the image of a sparrow attempting to put out
a forest fire. The sparrow is the weakest of all the creatures in the forest, despite
the presence of other strong animals. Through the use of contrasting symbols,
the author of this drabble deftly conveys the idea that the sparrow can not
simply observe the forest fire without taking action. Furthermore, despite the
fact that there is a river close to the forest, providing a chance to put out the fire,
all of the animals in it do nothing but watch their homes burn. An unexpected
way to deal with reality is to try using a drop of water to put out a forest fire.
Let’s focus more on the sparrow image as we examine this drabble. A sparrow
can fly, so it can get away from any hazardous situation. He could fly out of the
forest to escape a situation like that and save his life. Unlike other strong
animals, he attempted to save his forest even though he was unable to leave his
home. This drabble was created by Aleksandr Sergeevich Neverov, and its main
concept is that humanity can come together in order to save the world in any
challenging circumstance. Famous authors from around the world have written
drabbles that draw attention because of their briefness. For instance, the English
author Ernest Hemingway wrote a drabble that was just six words long.
“For sale: baby shoes, never worn”
11
. All the traits of drabbles are evidents
in this little piece, which appears straightforward but conceals a deep meaning.
For instance , a brief history, an unexpected solution, and a brief reality are all
provided. This drabble gives a brief history of the term “never worn.” The reader
is attempting to understand the meaning nehind the statement “unworn
children’s shoes for sale” through this sentence. There are numerous reasons for
this. For instance, there might be a sale on new shoes due to excess or necessity.
However, a picture of a mother who lost her child and is selling the child’s shoes
lies at the core of reality. In this drabble, the term “baby shoes” is an unexpected
solution. The fact that the author used an image of a baby for this brief piece
indicates that his drabble writing ability is quite well. This is because, in
comparision to other characters, the baby’s character is surprisingly impressive.
For example, if the drabble is “women’s shoes for sale that have never been
worn”, any kind of reader will be excited or feel any emotion. The story’s
11
Garson O'Toole "For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn". quoteinvestigator.com. April 2013.
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shortest and complete solution occurs when a mother who has lost her child in
this drabble chooses to sell the unworn shoes of her deceased child. The reason
is that a mother understands the agony of having her child stained, and she even
sold her child’s unused shoes to ease the pain. In other words, even though they
are brief, short stories ought to be deeply meaningful.
Results and discussion
When we examine the history of world literature, we fing that drabbles have
emerged in many eras and nations and have continued to evolve to this day.
Short stories were inspired by the story’s genre. The reason for this is that
writers have developed a strong interest in short stories. In recent years, most
drabbles created by writers have made popular of this genre around the world.
While the genre of drabbles started to develop and become popular worldwide
in the 20
th
century, other genres that share drabble elements have been around
for centuries. The impact of proverbs and anecdotes on the writing of short
stories is easily discernible. All ancient nation’s folklore contains these types of
stories.
12
Drabbles became prominent in world literature because of proverbs and
anecdotes. The salient features of these genres is that proverbs’ general
conclusion are comparable to drabbles’ descriptions of reality’s endings.
Furthermore, in terms of content the parable and short story genre are very
similar. This is because the main aim of parables’ is to achieve educational
goal.
13
“Uzbek literature from the 20
th
century is referred to as new Uzbek literature.
Since people’s perspectives on the world, art, and aesthetics had evolved by this
point.”
14
It is well known that Uzbek literature has a fully developed narratives, and a
large number of works have been produced that satisfy the genre’s criteria. The
early 20
th
century saw the formation of the realistic story genre in Uzbek
literature. The work of A. Qodiriy initiates this process. One of the earliest
instances of the story is found his work “Capricorn”.
15
12
Ma’suma Obidjonova. Genesis of flash fiction genre in the world literature. “International journal on integrated
education”, 2019
13
Ahmedov S., Qosimov B., Qo‘chqorov R., Rizayev Sh. Adabiyot (Umumiy o‘rta ta’lim maktablarining 5-sinfi uchun
darslik). I qism. – T.: Sharq, 2011. B. 107-108.
14
Saydulla Mirzayev. “XX asr O‘zbek adabiyoti”, “Yangi asr avlodi”, Toshkent 2005.
15
G.Oxunova. Hikoya janri taraqqiyotining o‘ziga xos xususiyatlari. -T.: “So‘z san'ati xalqaro jurnali”, 2021.-
bet 70.
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“Formal abbreviation, conciseness, content integrity, and brevity are the
traditional characteristics of the narrative genre”.
16
Storytelling was developed in antiquity as a form of oral creativity passed
down from generation to generation. Through exchanging oral histories,
folktales, and epics, people developed storytelling in this way. Oral stories
frequently convey heroes, fantastical animals, and moral lessons while also
reflecting societal values and beliefs. Despite not having reached its full potential
in antiquity, Uzbek storytelling serves as the foundation for storytelling in
modern times. In Uzbek storytelling, historical occurrences, cultural customs,
and themes of love, loyalty, and respect all play significant roles. The art of
storytelling, which reflects the experiences and goals of the Uzbek people, is
evolving and changing with the times. With his brief but profound stories,
author Abdulla Qahhor significantly influenced the growth of the short story
form in Uzbek literature. One thing that sets Abdulla Qahhor apart is his short
story writing. In one of his article the writer stated, “I love storytelling at the
same time I have always considered it to be the edge of my pen”
17
. The main
goal of the author’s stories is to uplift and serve people in a moral manner. In his
several works author has also tackled the subject of war. In particular, stories
about war heroes like “Botirali”, “Asror bobo”, “Xotinlar”, “Sep”, “Ko‘k konvert”,
“Qizil konvert”.
As Abdulla Qahhor said “The writer does not choose the genre, the genre
chooses the writer”
18
. Looking at Uzbek literature, we can see that the short
story genre is growing after the story genre, and that more authors are
researching in this genre. For example, Shukur Xolmirzayev, Nuriddin Egamov,
Alloma Hakimova, Nodirabegim Ibragimova, Aziz Nur, Fozil Jo‘ra,
Muhammadxon Yusupov and others. Authors that started out in the story genre
later became well-known for their drabbles. For example, the author O‘tkir
Hashimov first found great success in the storytelling genre before becoming
well-known for his drabbles. Short stories of no more than 100 words, such as
“Otalar va bolalar”, “Nasldor Buqa”, “Nosqovoq”, “Aqllilik balosi”, “Gumroh
bandalar” and “Tutingan o‘g‘il” have a particular quick impact on people’s
human psyche.
16
Dilbar Hasanova.O‘zbek hikoyachiligi va uning taraqqiyot yo‘li. “Eurasian Journal Of Academic Research”, 2023
17
Saydulla Mirzayev. XX asr adabiyoti.-T.: “Ynagi asr avlodi”, 2005.- bet 222
18
Sh.Absayitova. Zamonaviy oʻzbek hikoyachiligi. “XXI asrda innovatsion texnologiyalar, fan va ta’lim
taraqqiyotidagi dolzarb muammolar”, bet 110
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According to the author, “I think that in order to create a truly artistic
work, to create a work that exites people and gives pleasure to the heart every
time it is read again, you need the talent given by God in the first place.”
19
O‘tkir Hoshimov’s drabbles mostly address the topics of parents, society
and family. “Otalar va bolalar” is one of the writer’s drabbles on the theme of
family.
Young authors that write in the drabble genre are also present in contemporary
Uzbek literature. Abduqayum Yo‘ldoshev, who represents a different field, is
among the writers who create drabbles. He has several drabbles including
“Muhabbat”, “Azob”, “O‘tinch”, “Ibrat”, “Razolat”, “Ong”, “Baho” and others.
Similar to the authors of literature from the 20
th
century, today’s young
modern writers short stories are valuable for education. Their drabbles mostly
discuss love, loyalty and respect. “The main aim of storytelling is to inspire
people to do good thing through certain plot”.
20
As everyone knows, one of the earliest and most evolving literary genres
in the world is the story, especially in English literature. The writings of
numerous authors have contributed to the development of world literature,
particularly English literature. Famous writers like Mark Twain, William
Shakespeare, Jane Austen, James Joyce, William Blake, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles
Dickens and George Eliot made significant contributions to the growth of English
literature and subsequently the story genre. William Shakespeare was an
English writer who wrote in many genres, particularly comedy and tragedy,
even though he is not well known for his stories. His mature works contributed
greatly to the development of English literature. As the “father of English
literature” Geoffrey Chaucer is regarded as one of the best writers of the Middle
Ages in England. One of his most well-known works “Canterbury Tales” is among
the most popular pieces of English literature and served as an inspiration for the
growth of English storytelling. The main reason is that this work includes 24
stories and critically illimuniates the social life, classes, and famous people of
that era.
The last great representative of Middle Ages English literature is Geoffrey
Chaucer whose works have had a significant influence on the evolution of both
the English literary language and English literature. Therefore, he is called the
founder of the English language and English realistic literature.
21
19
Saydulla Mirzayev. XX Asr O‘zbek Adabiyoti, Toshkent «Yangi asr avlodi» 2005.- bet 397
20
X. Do‘stmuhammedov. Hozirgi o‘zbek hikoyachiligida badiiy tafakkurning yangilanishi.-T.: 2020.
21
M.N. Xolbekov. Ingliz adabiyoti klassiklari. – Jizzax.: JDPI, 2014.- bet 7
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One of the most well-known writers in the story genre is Charles Dickens.
His writings including “Oliver Twist”, “Great Expectations”, and “ A tale of Two
Cities” had a significant impact on the growth of the English narrative genre.
“Charles Dickens is a creator with an unusual characterization technique
otherwise, readers would have forgotten all of his characters, contrary to some
critics opinions”
22
Samuel Langhorne Clemens is an American writer of short
stories who also writes under the pen name Mark Twain. He has a significant
impact on the growth of American literature as well as the English story genre.
“In addition to representing children’s lives, Mark Twain also captured the
common lives of regular people”
23
Another popular German writer is Franz Kafka. His first stories appeared
in 1905 in a number of magazines. The works of Franz Kafka have had a
significant influence on the literary world and are now regarded as some of the
most significant pieces of contemporary literature, stimulating in-depth
discussion and deep thought among readers. We may argue that Franz Kafka’s
narrative style is intricate. Readers frequently have to make an effort to
comprehend Franz Kafka’s writings in order to analyze his stories. “The Trees” is
one work with a sophisticated writing style, for instance. In the 1980s, drabbles
first appeared in British world literature. Writings of no more than hundred
words were not written at this time but short stories contributed to the
establishment of this genre.
The first examples of short stories in American literature are found in
Washington Irving’s well-known collection “The Sketch of Geoffrey Crayon”
published in 1819. Examples of this include “The legend of sleepy hollow” and
“Rip Van Winkle.”
24
Short story writing became popular after Irving’s writing,
and writers from Europe and American wrote about a variety of subjects.
Specifically, moral themes were highlighted in the short stories written by
renowned author Nathaniel Hawthorne.
25
There are many authors of drabbles in English literature, and since this is
a relatively new genre, there is still research being done on it. Among the many
22
Berdiyeva Sitora Utkirovna. Charlz Dikkens asarlarida inson ruhiyati tasviri (“Great expectations” (buyuk umidlar)
asari misolida) “Innovation science and researchinternational scientific journal volume 1 issue3”, 2023. – bet 68
23
Ganiyeva Orzigul Xayriddinovna. Mark tven ijodi haqida mulohazalar . “Sifatli ta’lim –taraqqiyot
poydevori”mavzusidagi Respublika ilmiy-amaliykonferensiya to’plami 2023-yil 20-apel
24
Margaret Ashmun, Modern short stories . “The Macmillan”. 1914, bet-128
25
https://americanboard.org/Subjects/english/historical-development-of-the-short-story
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other writers are Lydia Davis, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, R. Tolkien, K.Clark
and others.
Conclusions
In conclusion, literature is a vast and complex field that includes a wide
range of genres and approaches. A narrative genre is distinct due to its historical
popularity among other features. Beyond adults, young people also like the story
genre. We all know that people hear stories from their early years. This makes
writing or creating stories in the story genre very fascinating. Readers have not
retreated from the narrative genre, which is not surprising, but slightly
different-toned short stories have become more and more popular in recent
years.
Any reader will bw captivated by this new genre’s distinctive features. Drabbles
in particular are brief pieces that are shorter than one hundred words. The
quantity of English and Uzbek authors contributing to this emerging genre is
evidently growing daily. Enhancing students; critical thinking ability is one of
the primary benefits of drabbles.
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