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PERFECTING THE ARTISTIC IMAGE IN CONTEMPORARY YOUTH
PROSE
Ulkanboeva Matluba Hasanboy qizi
Doctoral candidate of the Institute of Uzbek Language,
Literature and Folklore, Uzbekistan
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15639397
Abstract.
This article addresses the expression of creative vision through
associative imagery in Uzbek short stories. The study analyzes the gradual
development of associative imagery as a literary tradition in our national
literature. Specifically, it examines the artistic interpretation of images such as
the monkey, the bull, and the pomegranate in Abdulla Qahhor's stories, along
with their symbolic and figurative content. Additionally, the use of these images
in the stories of contemporary young writers, enriched with new, relevant
meanings, is analyzed on a scientific basis.
Keywords:
short story, image, associative image, creative vision, artistic
interpretation.
Introduction.
A short story is not merely a narration of interesting events;
it is a new artistic reality that expresses the writer's creative concept, their
attitude towards social reality, and their conclusions, in which the author's
important views on existence are embedded. This is why creativity is, first and
foremost, considered wisdom. Since the short story, like other works of art,
thinks through images and details, one of the current tasks of literary studies is
to examine and analyze the artistic and aesthetic function of images and details
in modern Uzbek short stories and the experience of young prose writers in
using them.
Literature review on the topic.
In Uzbek literary studies, there are
numerous research works related to the study of artistic images in short stories.
In particular, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor M. Kuchkarova, in her
articles "A Man Talking to Himself" and "Elements of Neo-mythologism in the
Stories of Nurilla Chori," dedicated to the work of young writer Nurilla Chori,
offers a new interpretation of artistic images in Ahmad A'zam's fictional world.
Another well-known scholar, D. Kuronov, in his articles "A Work Written with
Inspiration," "A Bunch from My Pleasure," and "Two Words in Defense of the
Thief," presents well-founded conclusions about the composition and imagery of
stories.
Analyzing one of Nurillo Chori's literary characters, M. Kuchkarova draws
attention to a subtle detail related to this character: "But the uncle is alive. He
changed his name associated with 'Allah' (Khudoykul) to Urak (axe). One can
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sense how skillfully the writer provides subtle hints about the tragedies of the
historical social epoch. During the Soviet era, the symbol of the working-peasant
class was the “SICKLE AND AXE.”[3] The scholar's approach to the artistic detail
related to the change in the main character's name allows for new conclusions in
literary studies.
Furthermore, in D. Quronov's article "A Work Written with Inspiration,"
new, well-founded conclusions are drawn regarding the story "Horror" and its
interpretations. The article discusses literary caution formed under the
influence of the despotic regime. Our people have a saying: "One who has been
burned by milk blows on yogurt." The subsequent generation, for whom the
bitter fate of creators such as A. Fitrat, A. Qodiriy, and Chulpan served as an
example, could not openly express their creative concepts.Certainly, A. Qahhor
understands very well how difficult the task is because, as they say, "a person
bitten by a snake fears a striped rope." He witnessed those who suffered during
that time and saw that many people still cannot recover. The writer recalls the
legend of an elephant that was chained to an iron stake for 200 years, and after
the chain rotted, it circled around the stake for another hundred years. He says:
"The elephant is a mindless animal, so why can't we move far from the stake
driven in by the cult era?" The writer deeply feels that the horror instilled in
people's hearts by the era of repression has not yet departed, and its departure
will not be easy.[4;31] Indeed, due to the fear of repression, the artist could not
openly express his condition or the state of the nation and found a solution in
the mysterious artistic world of verbal art. For this very reason, at the beginning
of the 20th century, literature began to create images specifically selected to
express creative intentions. These were encoded images that conveyed the
author's true state. In literary studies, there is a concept of associative image. In
the dictionary compiled under the guidance of Professor D. Quronov, it is given
the following definition: "Associative image (lat. associatio - to unite, to connect)
is an image based on difficult-to-access connections between objects,
phenomena, and concepts, arising through their unexpected connection
(comparison, juxtaposition, contrast) and thereby acquiring a high degree of
metaphorical and subjective quality. Essentially, associativity is a characteristic
inherent in the nature of any image. That is, the associative image is not a special
type of artistic image; this term refers to an image that strongly demonstrates
the associativity inherent in the artistic image as a whole. Consequently, there is
a certain conventionality in the application of the term. The associative image
demands creative activity from the reader, the ability to perceive the
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connections between the objects and phenomena on which the author relies, a
chain of connections."[5;38] In the dictionary, the associative image is
interpreted more in relation to genres of the lyrical type: "In modern poetry,
which strives for metaphorical perception of the world, associative images
occupy an increasingly large place, and numerous examples can be cited."[5;39]
The images we analyzed below and their interpretations show that strongly
associated images are also found in prose, particularly in short stories. We
would like to emphasize that such associative images were created with the
desire to remain faithful to the great truth, while simultaneously protecting
oneself from the winds of repression. Uzbek writers of the 20th century used a
special way of expressing spiritual suffering and the pain of society, and this
tradition continued in the works of subsequent literary generations.
Research Methodology
The article is based on sociological, biographical,
and comparative-historical methods.
Analysis and Results
In A. Qahhor's stories, there are several associative images. The images of
the monkey in "The Horror," the bull in "The Thief," and the pomegranate in
"The Pomegranate" are among those that serve to express specific literary and
aesthetic intentions. So, with which realities of their time do these images
connect and harmonize? It is known that in Uzbek neighborhoods, encountering
monkeys in houses is an unusual phenomenon. This unusualness raises several
questions for the reader: Why did the writer introduce the image of a monkey?
Why did the monkey grab Unsin by the shoulder? If we remove the monkey from
the story, a piece of horn flying in the wind could grab Unsin's shoulder, or a
piece of cloth covering his face could give him an even more terrifying
appearance, and logically, the story's plot could support such a detail. However,
in that case, the writer would not have been able to achieve his intended goal or
express his true artistic intention. The monkey is a concept foreign to the Uzbek
mentality, an artistic expression of ideology. This indicates that the despotic
regime, which tore the belief in the Creator from the consciousness of people
who strictly followed Islamic laws and had firm faith in their hearts, promoted
godlessness - atheism, and tried to convince people who firmly believed they
were created from earth that humanity descended from apes. It attacked and
destroyed national intellectuals like A. Fitrat, A. Qodiriy, and Cholpon. In his
article "A Work Written with Inspiration," D. Quronov concludes that both Unsin
and Nodirmohbegim represent A. Qahhor himself. In our view, Unsin, who
strived for freedom and perished on this path, is a symbolic image created in
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comparison with the bitter fate of the Jadid thinkers, while Nodirmohbegim,
who drew conclusions from his death, struck the ground three times with her
fist, and left the Dodkhoh's palace, is a generalized symbol of A. Qahhor and his
contemporaries Oybek and G. Gulyam. Although these writers were forced to
compromise with the ruling system, they left behind a legacy, placing their
creative concepts alongside true literary masterpieces.
The image of the bull in the story "The Thief" is not used by chance. This
image was created as a hint and irony towards the vices manifested in the
nature of some of our compatriots during the writer's lifetime, such as
submissiveness, obedience, and "conformity." The writer couldn't help but suffer
from this vice in the character of his contemporaries and express it with bitter
irony. The portrayal of this image alongside Qobil bobo served to more vividly
manifest the writer's artistic concept.
In the story "The Pomegranate," the fruit - the pomegranate, chosen by a
woman as a mysterious phenomenon, is also a symbolic image that points to
truths that the writer could not express openly. The politics of that time did not
allow A. Qahhor to speak frankly about the realities he understood. A well-
known example of the pomegranate image is found in Uvaysi's work. The pain of
the Khan's harem, one of the painful aspects of that time in Chistan, and the
suffering of the young beautiful girls living there are beautifully expressed.
The image of the pomegranate used in the story evokes the pain of the
totalitarian Soviet regime, as mentioned in the cleansing, through its blood and
the fact that this blood is contained within a closed dome. A. Qahhor's mastery
lies in the fact that the woman chose a pomegranate - a fruit that could express
the spiritual pain of herself and her contemporaries - among various objects that
could have been mysterious, and did not burn either a spindle or a kebab.
Pointing to the true reality through such associative imagery is also found in
other writers, but since the article's scope is limited, we will confine ourselves to
the analysis presented above. This is because the true purpose of the article is to
show that this literary tradition continues in the works of today's youth, that
young prose writers are following in the footsteps of their predecessors by
selecting special associative images for their stories.
The images of worms and insects used in the stories of Jasur Kengboyev
"The Rattling Worm" and Javlon Jovliyev "The Tyrant's Insects" are among the
associative images analyzed above.
Jasur Kengboyev's collection of stories "Khadik" was published recently.
The very title of the book serves to express the author's attitude towards reality
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and his conclusions. The endless stream of information directed at human
consciousness allows certain dark forces to easily manipulate, control, and
exploit human minds for their own benefit. Today, merely watching video
content turns a person into someone's consumer. Any malicious movement can
easily draw the younger generation into its fold. The current social and spiritual
situation is extremely unstable. In other words, there is now fear in the minds of
every intellectual and person who cares about the future of the nation. J.
Kengbayev senses this and urges his readers to be extremely vigilant in the face
of the information flow.
The image of the worm in Jasur Kengboev's story "The Nut Worm"
symbolically represents destructive ideas that take root in people's minds and
consume them, as well as ego-driven individuals who gain people's trust and
sacrifice them for personal gain. The story consists of a scene where student
Mahmudov confronts Professor Daminov, his trip to a walnut grove to prepare a
report, and his conversation with a gardener. The writer doesn't preach or
philosophize about kindness and goodness in the story. He uses the image of the
nut worm so skillfully that the reader intuitively grasps the author's creative
intent. This vivid expression of artistic intent through imagery, as mentioned
earlier, demonstrates the successful continuation of the literary tradition
inherent to the Uzbek short story school, passed down through generations. In
the general dialogue, the author describes in detail how a gardener, upon
meeting the student in the walnut grove, asks, "Tell the truth, who sent you
here?" [2;35] and grows gloomy upon learning that no one had sent him. The
writer reveals the reason for this despondency at the end of the story: "I heard
three or four of our teachers whispering under the old mulberry tree where we
were standing.
Domla Daminov didn't let one father into the house... The deceased lived in
an abandoned garden of the metal factory...
"I was stunned, as if struck by lightning." According to the plot, a "worm"
had entered Professor Daminov's heart. He neither took care of nor concerned
himself with his elderly father. The father waits for news from a student who
arrived by chance, suspecting: "Could my son have sent him?" The writer doesn't
dwell on why Professor Daminov doesn't care for his father. Because there's no
need for that. No strong reason can justify leaving an old father alone. An Uzbek
child doesn't do that. This means that a worm has infected Professor Daminov's
Uzbek identity and authenticity. Perhaps a vice, not inherent to our people's
nature, in the form of a worm, entered the professor's heart and consciousness
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as a result of the orders and propaganda of the former totalitarian regime and
completely consumed him. The fact that the image of the "worm" can symbolize
everything across all times serves the artistic maturity of the story.
In Javlon Jovliyev's story "The Insects of the Tyrant," the insect emerges as
another new example of an associative image. The plot revolves around a
student who has just finished his studies wandering in search of work and finally
finding it. The author's true creative intention is manifested in three places in
the story. Firstly, where the portrait of a department head producing various
medicines against harmful insects is drawn: "The department head turned out to
be a pleasant-looking, polite, frail-appearing man of about sixty. The skullcap on
his head suited him very well... The elderly employee sat in a white coat,
drinking green tea and listening to the song 'Urtar.'"[1;197] The description
shows that the elderly employee lives in the Uzbek way. However, in this same
employee's confession in the story - "Excuse me, my child, I can't write in
Uzbek..."[1;199] - one can understand that the character who lives in the Uzbek
way and strives to be Uzbek actually cannot reason in his native language, and
no matter how hard he tries, he essentially cannot be Uzbek and remains in a
suspended state. Another important passage that serves as a key to the author's
artistic intent is evident in the narrator's father's speech: "Don't blame this
person, understand," my father then said. "Maybe his parents aren't to blame for
raising him this way. It was that time. That same atmosphere. The blame lies
with the slaves of desire, my child! He also wants to live like an Uzbek. But
colonial insects tried to destroy our roots, you hear, our roots. Language,
religion, then nation. They couldn't achieve their goal. But they poisoned and
destroyed the roots of many weak people. They made some of them sick for
life."[1;200] Expressing true artistic intent with an open journalistic spirit,
without hiding it in symbols, is characteristic of J. Jovliyev's style. Unlike J.
Kengbayev, he openly expresses the meaning that the tyrant imposes on the
image of insects, creating an individual symbolic image by comparing the ideas
of the tyrannical regime, instilled in people's consciousness with the intention of
forcing them to forget and destroy our language, religion, and national
traditions, to a dangerous insect that has settled on the roots of plants. The
elderly department head trying to preserve his sickly roots in J. Jovliyev's story,
and J. Kengboyev's hero, Professor Daminov, whose national upbringing has
been eaten by worms, are victims of years of colonial policy that have survived
to this day.
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Conclusions and Recommendations.
The analysis demonstrates that
studying artistic images in association with the realities of that time opens the
way for new interpretations in literary studies. The artistic possibilities of a
work can be expanded by using associative imagery not only in poetry but also
in prose. Every image and detail in the story must be mobilized to express the
writer's artistic intent. Associative images are distinguished by their special
emphasis or uniqueness in the story. For example, particular attention is paid to
the images of the bull, pomegranate, and insect, while the worm and monkey
reveal their distinctiveness. Associative images, in their own right, are capable of
expressing artistic intent; in the words of Professor Yu. Solijonov, they can be
called "speech" images.
References:
1.Jovliev J. My Mother and the Universe. - Tashkent: "Anorbooks," 2022. - 272 p.
2.Kengboev J. Hadik. - Tashkent: "Readbook," 2024. - 160 p.
3.Kuchkarova M. Elements of Neomythologism in Nurilla Chori's Stories //
https://kh-davron.uz/kutubxona/uzbek/marhabo-qochqorova-nurilla-chori-
hikoyalarida.html
4.Quronov D. Reading and Perception Exercises. - Tashkent: "Akademnashr,"
2013. - 336 p.
5.Quronov D. et al. Literary Dictionary. - T.: "Akademnashr," 2013.
