INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1991
BETWEEN SILENCE AND SPEECH: A COMPARATIVE PRAGMATIC
STUDY OF EMOTIVE MEANS IN ERKIN A’ZAM’S PAKANANING OSHIQ
KO‘NGLI AND KHALED HOSSEINI’S A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
Normakhmatova Feruza Ruziboevna
Uzbekistan State World Languages University
Annotation
:This article examines how emotional meaning is conveyed in literary texts from
distinct cultural traditions: Pakananing oshiq ko‘ngli (2001) and A Thousand Splendid Suns
(2007). It focuses on the ways characters express feelings such as guilt, sorrow, and emotional
restraint or release. In the Uzbek narrative, emotional content is often conveyed through
metaphor and bodily response, whereas in the Afghan-English novel, direct dialogue and
explicit verbalization are more prominent. These differences reflect deeper communicative
preferences embedded within the respective cultures.
Keywords:
emotive means, cultural pragmatics, expressive strategies, comparative analysis,
narrative emotion
Introduction
Language is a medium for both transmitting facts and conveying emotional undertones. In
literature, the way characters express emotion can reveal underlying cultural values. This study
explores how two works—Pakananing oshiq ko‘ngli by Erkin A’zam and A Thousand Splendid
Suns by Khaled Hosseini—use different linguistic and narrative strategies to express emotional
content. Though both stories deal with hardship and sacrifice, they reflect different norms of
emotional communication. This contrast offers insights into how emotion is shaped and shared
in literary discourse across cultures.
Numerous scholars have examined the cultural encoding of emotion. Wierzbicka (1999)
emphasizes that emotional expression is culture-specific and deeply tied to language norms.
Similarly, Pavlenko (2005) highlights that narrative styles in multilingual and multicultural
texts reflect distinct emotional repertoires. These perspectives support the relevance of a
comparative analysis grounded in pragmatics.
Research Questions:
1. What linguistic tools do characters use to express emotional states?
2. How do cultural expectations influence how emotions are communicated?
3. What pragmatic purposes are served by silence, speech, or metaphor in these texts?
Methods
Using comparative textual analysis, this study closely examines selected scenes from both texts.
Each excerpt was chosen for its clear representation of emotional response. The analysis
identifies pragmatic tools such as metaphor, indirectness, gesture, and speech acts. These are
interpreted through the lens of Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory and Searle’s theory of
speech acts. The study also draws upon Wierzbicka’s (1999) semantic approach to emotion and
Pavlenko’s (2005) cross-cultural discourse analysis.
Results
Emotive Means in Pakananing oshiq ko‘ngli
U gapni eshitgach, quvonchli yuragi bir nima bo‘lganday jim qoldi. Qo‘llari qaltiradi. U
kulishga urindi, ammo lablari qimirlamadi. (A’zam, 2001)
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1992
This passage illustrates emotional suppression. The character’s internal turmoil is not
spoken aloud but shown through physical reactions. The silence of the “heart” and trembling
hands convey anxiety and self-restraint, highlighting a cultural norm of managing one’s
emotional display.
Quloqlariga “Pakanasan, senga yetmagan odam ko‘p” degan gap chalinib turardi.
(A’zam, 2001)
Here, the memory of a painful remark echoes in the character’s mind. It suggests
enduring social judgment and internalized inferiority. The insult is not actively voiced,
demonstrating how emotions linger and influence behavior through memory.
Ko‘cha boshida yelkalari cho‘kkanday bukilib ketdi... (A’zam, 2001)
Physical posture is used as a narrative device. The drooping shoulders suggest emotional
defeat without dialogue. This approach emphasizes indirect but highly expressive
communication.
Gap orasida yana kulib yubordi, lekin bu kulgi avvalgidek emasdi. (A’zam, 2001)
Smiling becomes a social mask here. Although the character attempts to laugh, it is
described as different—forced or hollow—hinting at unspoken discomfort or emotional
exhaustion.
Oqshom tushganda, u go‘yo butun kunini behuda o‘tkazgandek o‘zini aybdor his qildi.
(A’zam, 2001)
In this scene, guilt is conveyed not through confession but reflection. The day is
described as “wasted,” and the character feels responsible, though the feeling is private.
Emotional restraint is emphasized through introspection.
Emotive Means in A Thousand Splendid Suns
“Tell Aziza she was the noor of my life. And Zalmai... that I’m sorry. For everything.”
(Hosseini, 2007, p. 329)
This plea is emotionally charged and context-specific. The speaker uses direct speech to
protect others, and her feelings are immediately visible.
“Sleeping on the street like a stray dog...” (Hosseini, 2007, p. 148)
A metaphor is used here to show self-pity and loss of dignity. The character’s suffering
is narrated without reservation.
“You’ll get used to it,” Rasheed said. “This is your home now.” (Hosseini, 2007, p. 113)
Rasheed’s words reflect emotional detachment. While the speech may appear calm, it
contains an undertone of control and finality.
“I can’t breathe,” she said. “It hurts to breathe.” (Hosseini, 2007, p. 253)
In this moment, raw pain is verbalized. The physical metaphor underscores the
emotional intensity, and the repetition gives weight to her suffering.
Discussion
The findings reveal different emotional economies across the two literary works. In
Pakananing oshiq ko‘ngli, emotions are often conveyed through indirect means such as
metaphor, gesture, and silence. Characters tend to internalize their feelings, showing restraint
and reflecting broader cultural expectations of dignity and emotional control. This aligns with
what Wierzbicka (1999) describes as a “cultural script of emotional moderation,” common in
collectivist societies.
In contrast, A Thousand Splendid Suns illustrates a more open and verbal style of
emotional expression. Characters use direct language, metaphors, and confessions to articulate
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 06,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 1993
their feelings. As Pavlenko (2005) suggests, multilingual authors often use emotive language to
create resonance and solidarity with readers, particularly in contexts of suffering and trauma.
While both texts use metaphor effectively, the Uzbek story embeds it in narrative
introspection, whereas the Afghan-English novel places it in dialogue. Thus, each narrative
demonstrates how culture shapes the pragmatics of emotional expression. This contrast can be
summarized as ambiguity, face-saving, and emotional control in the Uzbek story versus clarity,
catharsis, and resolution in the Afghan-English novel.
The findings reveal different emotional economies. In the Uzbek story, emotions are
often felt deeply but expressed through quiet actions and reflections. In contrast, Hosseini’s
characters speak their pain aloud, often seeking response or forgiveness. These contrasting
patterns illustrate how language, culture, and emotion are interwoven.
Conclusion
This comparison sheds light on the pragmatic use of emotive means in literature. Both authors
portray emotional hardship, but through different strategies: A’zam relies on restraint, while
Hosseini highlights direct speech. Understanding such distinctions helps uncover how different
linguistic cultures express human experience.
These insights also hold pedagogical value, especially in multicultural classrooms where
students encounter diverse narrative voices. Recognizing the role of cultural norms in emotional
communication enhances not only literary appreciation but also cross-cultural empathy.
Moreover, this study contributes to broader discussions in comparative literature and
pragmatics, encouraging future research that bridges linguistic analysis with cultural
interpretation.
References:
1.
A’zam, E. (2001). Pakananing oshiq ko‘ngli. Ziyouz.com.
2. Brown, P., & Levinson, S. C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage.
Cambridge University Press.
3. Hosseini, K. (2007). A thousand splendid suns. Riverhead Books.
4. Pavlenko, A. (2005). Emotions and multilingualism. Cambridge University Press.
5. Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech acts: An essay in the philosophy of language. Cambridge
University Press.
6. Wierzbicka, A. (1999). Emotions across languages and cultures: Diversity and universals.
Cambridge University Press.
