International Journal Of Literature And Languages
65
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue05 2025
PAGE NO.
65-68
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue05-18
The Issue of Creating A Humorous Character in The
Stories of The Writer S. Jumagulov
R. Kudiyarova
Assistant teacher of the department of Karakalpak literature, Nukus State Pedagogical Institute, Uzbekistan
Received:
23 March 2025;
Accepted:
19 April 2025;
Published:
21 May 2025
Abstract:
In this article, we have specifically addressed the issue of the humorous character in S. Jumagulov's
works. Character plays an important role in creating the image of the hero, through which the writer creates
conflict. When conflict arises, the character of the hero is revealed even more. We will discuss and reflect on how
the writer S. Jumagulov depicted the issue of character in his short-story works.
Keywords:
Humor, character, plot, satire, image, conflict.
Introduction:
In a literary work, the plot revolves
around certain characters. And these heroes act in
accordance with their character. It is required that the
character of the hero does not repeat each other, as in
life, and that each of them has its own characteristics.
Often in large-scale epic works, the character of the
hero is revealed and developed throughout the plot.
Because due to various conflicts and contradictions,
there can be cases of changes in the character of the
hero for better or worse. Uzbek literary scholar I.Sultan
writes about character: "Character is a typical and
individualized reflection of a person. Character
expresses the characteristics of people belonging to a
certain period, environment, profession, age, and
gender" [3:199]. Indeed, character is, first and
foremost, a concrete manifestation of a person,
manifested by their individual actions and emotional
experiences in specific life circumstances.
"Character embodies many elements of a work of art
(such as plot, composition, language), mainly forcing it
to "use" itself. That is, if the character is a form
according to the content of the work, then according to
the character, the plot, composition, language, and
other forms are counted. [6: 48] Because the
presentation of the plot of the work, the bold actions
of the characters in it, is directly related to the
character of the hero. In a literary work, the hero's
character is so powerful that sometimes he acts
"without obeying" the writer. Each character thinks,
reflects, and makes decisions based on their character
and temperament. The writer cannot use actions that
are not characteristic of the hero. Because in this case,
the content and value of the work decrease, it becomes
distant from reality and creates distrust in the reader.
Analysis of character and its psychology is the main
factor determining the maturity of literature and the
level of a writer's skill. Various methods are used to
reveal the character of the hero in a work of art. The
depiction of the hero's psychology also clarifies the
character of the hero to some extent. In the work, there
is a dynamic principle when the writer describes his
inner world, his emotional experiences through
external appearance, in the form of states and actions.
But there is also an analytical principle, in which the
description of "expression of feelings" takes
precedence over the description of "narration of
events." The hero's mental state, the continuous
change of this process, the development and flow of
thoughts, feelings, and emotional experiences are
widely reflected. Although the dynamic and analytical
principles of psychologism seem to contradict each
other, it would also be inappropriate to oppose them.
These principles are observed in some novels in an
organized, stratified form. The spiritual world of such
heroes is revealed through their actions and
appearances, as well as the flow and development of
the dialectic of thoughts and feelings of these heroes.
In works of this type, these two principles of
psychologism are analyzed in dialectical unity. This is
the synthetic principle of psychologism. In a work of
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
66
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
art, the epic image and the reflection of feelings are in
a peculiar harmony. The panorama of the work - the
reflection of the flow of emotions, as well as the
realization of the emotional experiences in the hearts
of the characters, in turn reveals the meaning of the
depicted life. Thus, psychologism (its dynamic,
analytical, synthetic principles) is common to all realist
writers. The uniqueness of each writer in this regard
depends on how and to what extent they use various
tools of psychologism.
The creation of a hero's character is mainly found in
large-scale prose works. But even in short stories, the
character of the hero can be created to a certain extent.
Regarding the portrayal of character in stories, F.M.
Golovenchenko writes: "The character in the story is
not presented in a developed, developing way. Each
person is clearly visible, some characteristic of him is
revealed" [2:47]. However, conflict plays a key role in
revealing a certain aspect of the character's
personality. Because as a result of the characters in the
work encountering some opposition, we can see their
attitude to that opposition, their counter-action, or
their submission, both mental and physical state.
The character depicted in the story can also reflect an
era rich in great events and a person of that era. In the
West, such stories have appeared that have neither
unity of content, nor unity of form, nor character of the
hero. Even the Australian writer Robert Muzel called his
famous novel "The Virtuous Man." All of this is a
manifestation of Western modernism.[1:73] Since the
story mainly focuses on the problem of character, no
interesting plot can replace the character. Even if an
actual and interesting problem is written without a
well-created character, the story cannot achieve
complete success.
"Sometimes two or three sharp characteristics given to
the character depicted in the 'background' who is not
participating in the story can elevate him from the
genre to the level of a character. This is one of the
characteristic features of the short story genre in
character creation. This feature is not characteristic of
the genres of novels and short stories, their scope and
other regularities have the property of depicting the
character not in the "background," but directly in the
"front." [1:73]
In this
article, we focused on the issue of character in the
humorous stories included in the collection "My Secret,
My Truth..." by the writer S. Jumagulov. In this
collection of stories by the writer S. Jumagulov,
character plays a special role in the creation of the
hero's character. The images taken as the main
characters of the work are humorous, and the events
are narrated by the author from the outside. In the
writer's story "Berdan the Bachelor," the main
character is Berdan, who, although he is already thirty-
three years old, is still single. Berdan's character is
described by the author himself. For example,
"She grew up modest from childhood. Until now, there
hasn't been a single person who has killed an ant or a
breadcrumb. Only in the past five years has it fallen to
the fate of one butterfly. It wasn't his fault either. He
was burning the garbage in front of his house when his
forehead hit the black fire himself." [4:3]
In this example, the character of Berdon is revealed as
a person who does not harm anyone. The author
reveals that he was unable to marry because of this
loyalty.
In the story "It's not easy to criticize a person," the
characters of people who cannot live without being
criticized every day are revealed. For example, "There
is no special preparation of a person who speaks ill of
him. It's better to learn this requirement yourself. For
this, if you read it yourself and develop a great interest
in criticizing people, you'll get used to it. Take me, for
example. The desire to criticize someone also arose
during my school days."[4:11]
Through these lines, although the writer mixed a little
laughter into the events happening in life, it is known
that it is a sad situation that such people are increasing
in our society. The main character of the writer's story
is also a person of a detrimental nature to society. On
that day, one must speak ill of others. Every day, you
need to find a convenient moment to criticize
someone.
For example, "Sitting in my usual place, I felt like
criticizing someone. But who should I speak ill of?
At that moment, the seat under me creaked. I've found
someone to criticize! The person who made this chair
should be severely criticized. Why, you ask? Why does
it squeak? Because he didn't hammer the nail meant for
this seat and took it home. I'll complain to the boss right
now.
The boss was on his feet. He raised his head:
"Well, how can I help you?" he said, adjusting his
glasses.
- I came to complain about an elderly carpenter.
"What complaint?"
"You can't sit on the bench in our guardhouse." It
squeaks until you're sick. The craftsman who made it
might have taken it home without hammering the
appropriate nails. If only something could be done
about this!
The boss jumped up and tore off his glasses. Thus:
"Get out of here!" he shouted.
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
67
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
- Why?
"Do you know who you're criticizing?"
- No, who is it?
- Fool, he's your father. He had worked for us a little
before, and then he made a chair for us. And you,
without shame.
I left the boss's office, drenched in sweat, and watched
the passersby. Indeed, it's not easy to speak ill of a
person. I got carried away and even spoke ill of my
father. Now, boy, who should I speak ill of?" [4:13]
In these lines, the question of character is revealed with
humorous lines, but with a light laugh, the true image
of people who criticize everyone in society is revealed.
Through this story, S. Jumagulov, without even thinking
about his father being a carpenter, starts to speak ill of
him to the boss. The boss, however, isn't ashamed even
after saying who made this bench, and after going
outside, he's thinking about whom to criticize. At this
moment, one can see the revelation of certain aspects
of both the boss and the person who is not ashamed to
speak ill of. However, in the characters of these two
heroes, there is no fighting spirit, no courage capable
of resisting contradictions. Shouting at someone who
enters the boss's office during a conversation is also a
conflict. In such a confrontation, the boy keeps waiting
for someone else, that is, someone who will speak ill of
someone else. The image of the boss embodies loyalty
and a sense of caution towards a former employee. We
witness that the events of the story are revealed both
in a humorous and satirical way.
Also, in stories, there can be a character that develops
in the creation of the character of the hero or appears
ready-made in the work. Scholar L.I. Timofeev states:
"Character manifests itself in a formed, ready-made
state. What his character was like before the depicted
event is told after it ends or along the way" [5:
331;332].
In the story "Dungir," the characters are mainly
presented in a ready-made form. This, of course, also
depends on the brevity of the short story genre.
Because the short plot is given in the story, the creation
and development of the hero's character face a number
of limitations. The most striking moments in the
characters' personalities are mainly related to conflict.
For example, in the story "Dongir," the character of
Polimbet's image is conveyed from his own tongue at
the beginning of the work: "If you don't say it's hard
occasionally, bread will also be found. The bucket still
has water. When you have a snack and then take a sip,
the sweat from pleasure bursts from your forehead.
After drinking like this every day, should I fix it? In an
instant, I became one of the famous drinkers. My
stomach grew like a sack, and I started smoking vodka,
let alone vodka. Sometimes two or three bottles a day
don't feel like infection. When I drink, I pour a bottle
into my throat, smell my fist, or the glue used in the cell,
and do my job." [4:44] Through this, Polimbet reveals
what kind of person he is, some of his negative traits,
and some aspects of his character. The writer conveys
and clearly shows his character to the reader. The
reader understands from a single reading that it is a
negative image.
In S. Jumagulov's story "Dungir," along with the
character of the hero, he also depicts the reality of the
time. The plot of the work depicts the rise of alcoholism
and bribery in society. In the story, it is said that to
possess Polimbet, the bosses gave each other some
gifts and made him their "do'ngirasi," revealing the
reality of the time. For example, "One day, the garage
manager urgently called me from my workplace. I've
known this man for a long time. When he sees me, his
brow furrows with snowflakes falling at that moment.
This time I thought he would pour it, but no, it didn't
happen. On the contrary, as soon as he saw me, he
smiled from a distance:
- I heard you can drink a lot. Is that true?"
I lowered my head. He suddenly rubbed his palms and
rejoiced.
- In that case, I need you! I barely managed to get you
from the mechanic by writing you a bonus. From today
onwards, you will be my lord. "Tomorrow we're going
somewhere as guests!" he said. [4:46]
In general, there is no model for the field of artistic
creation, and there is no specific template for creating
a character in a story, and this stems from the writer's
skill and specific purpose. Character can be given both
in a hardened and developed form. However, this will
consist of one or several episodes, not a large period,
as in the story and novel. However, the limitation of
volume does not diminish the value of the genre; in the
story, the character, along with other genres, has the
ability to bear the times.
In a literary work, especially in short stories, it is
somewhat difficult to create the character of all the
characters. Because the story is short, it is natural to
have some difficulties and limitations in character
creation. However, in the works of skilled writers, there
are characters whose character is presented in a ready-
made form, or characters whose character and
peculiarities are reflected even by appearing in one or
two places. Such peculiarities are also found in the
stories of S. Jumagulov. In his works, he skillfully used
the words, views, and descriptions of the hero in
conveying the character of the hero, thereby creating
the character of the hero.
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
68
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, in this article, we discussed the issue of
revealing the character of the hero in the humorous
stories of S. Jumagulov's work. We witnessed that his
stories are presented in a humorous style and satirically
expose the behavior of some people found in society.
The writer's skill in depicting certain events occurring in
society, along with humor and satire, testifies to his
skill. It is no exaggeration to say that S. Jumagulov is a
master of creating humorous images and characters.
REFERENCES
Адабий турлар ва жанрлар (тарихи ва назариясига
оид). Уч жилдлик. I жилд. Тошкент, Ўзбекистон
Республикаси Фанлар Академиясининг «Фан»
нашриёти, 1991,
Головенченко Ф.М. Введение в литературоведение.
Mосква, «Высшая школа», 1964
И.Султон. Адабиёт назарияси. Тошкент, «Ўқитувчи»,
1986, 199-
бет.
C. Жумағулов. Сырым да усы шыным да… , Нөкис,
Қарақалпақстан”, 1984,
Тимофеев Л.И. Основы теории литературы. Москва,
«Просвещение», 1963,
Umurov H. Adabiyotshunoslik nazariyasi. Toshkent,
A.Qodiriy nomidagi xalq merosi nashriyoti, 2004
