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"THE IMAGE OF WANDERING" IN MODERN UZBEK PROSE
IN THE INTERPRETATION OF ISAJON SULTAN'S WORK "THE ETERNAL
WANDERER".
Reviewer: Dilorom Toshpu'latova Bobonazarovna,
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Philology, Associate Professor
Rayhon Mukhtorova Ali kizi,
1st year student of Master's degree at the Tashkent University of Human Sciences,
Faculty of "Uzbek Language and Literature"
Abstract:
This article examines the image of wandering in the novel "The Eternal
Wanderer" by Isajon Sultan.
Keywords:
novel, world literature, image, wandering, immortality.
In the period of independence, along with the traditional novels that flourished in
our novel writing, unconventional novels also began to be created. One of the artistic
features characteristic of such novels is the creation of mythopoetic novels. As one of
the bright achievements of Uzbek prose in this category, we can cite the work of Isajon
Sultan "The Eternal Wanderer". The image of the eternal wanderer first appeared in
world literature in the 13th century (in the book "The Great Chronicle" compiled in
1228), and we can partially see the presence of this image in the works of various writers,
in particular, in Russian literature, in the novel "The Golden Calf" by Ilya Ilf and Evgeny
Petrov, and in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita". In the literature
of European nations, the eternal wanderer is more often found not as a person, but as a
person who lives forever. In particular, the fact that Jesus is eternally alive and the events
related to his execution are described in different ways.
A significant idea about the appearance of the image of the immortal wanderer in
world literature is mentioned by Doctor of Philology, Professor Damin Turayev in his
article “Philosophical Adventure Novel” dedicated to the novel “The Immortal
Wanderer”: “There are several mature novels, stories, and narratives in world literature
on the theme of the “Immortal Wanderer”. The most mature of them are works such as
“Melmo the Wanderer” by Charles Methure in English literature, “Agasphere” by
French writer Eugene Onegin, and the story “The Immortal Man” by Luis Borges. But
Isajon Sultan takes a different path. The man in his novel creates an artificial human in
secret scientific centers in the West in order to perpetuate his rule over the whole world.
The immortal man, who has perfect intelligence, understands the power of the god who
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created this world with his intellectual intelligence, and, considering cloning in
laboratories to be against God and a sin, escapes from the cage of evil inventors and
becomes an eternal wanderer”.
1
Uzbek literature is known for its rich heritage and rare works. Among them, Isajon
Sultan's novel "The Eternal Wanderer" holds a special place. The writer said in one of
his interviews: "One day, I thought deeply and came to the conclusion that the money I
earn does not bring happiness, and I began to feel like a wanderer. Wanderership is not
only about wandering around the streets, there are other types of it. For example, if you
were asked if you would exchange five years of your life for a car, would you give it, or
even one year, would you not? Or, would young people give you a day or a minute? No,
you cannot. If you think that you will give only a minute, how do you know that the
happiness of your life is in that very minute. Thinking about it, you may not give it
either." So, when there are different forms of wanderership, For example, Rumi sees
wandering not only as a physical state, but also as a search for a spiritual path. He
encourages a person to travel to his inner world and true self. In his opinion, a person
should actually strive to explore his inner experiences and spiritual state rather than any
external wandering. He emphasizes that through the conflicts and difficulties of life, a
person can understand himself and gain a deeper spiritual experience.
Despite its small size, Isajon Sultan's novel "The Eternal Wanderer" was
recognized as the best novel of the year in Uzbekistan in 2010. In 2011, it was first
published in the magazine "Star of the East", and then as a separate book. The novel
reveals a number of features of postmodernism, a new approach to a theme that has been
developed in world literature and our classical literature for many centuries. The novel
is not large in size, but it contains a number of questions that encourage people to think
and ponder. The work is complex, there is no main character in it, but the author wrote
the work so perfectly that the characters of the characters and the development of events
are beautifully described with the liveliness and uniqueness of the language of the work
of art. While reading the work, it seemed that the events were proceeding smoothly, and
then there were intermittent events, what is the author trying to say, what is the main
theme? Is it the value of man or the belated repentance of a group of scientists who
rebelled against the will of God, or perhaps the fall of a group of scientists who wanted
to rule the entire universe? The writer tries to explain to the reader why the universe and
man were created, that the world was created perfectly, that nothing can happen without
1
Damin Turayev "Philosophical adventure novel" "Turon zamin ziya" publishing house 2017 y.
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the permission of the Creator. The writer does not choose one hero for the novel,
but a path, and this is not just an ordinary path, but a path of "desperation".
Scholar D. Toshpulatova says about the work, "It becomes clear that for Isajon
Sultan, the dimensions of immortality and desolation consist in showing the causes and
consequences that have plunged the authors of the cloned human, who opposed spiritual
poverty and ignorance and revolutionized the cursed field of science and technology,
into a pit of ruthless mud.”
2
The novel "The Eternal Wanderer" covers several topics. It explores topics such
as modern life and its problems, the hardships of life, and the relationships between
people. Through this work, Isajon Sultan raised his own thoughts, but also issues related
to humanity in general.
The author divides the work into three parts. The first part begins with the scene
of the execution of Mubarak. The author does not provide any information about the
personality of Mubarak, where the events take place, or for what sin Mubarak is being
punished. As Mubarak, who was vilified by the entire people, was being led away as a
condemned man, a street shoemaker, who was leaning against the wall of his house in
order to make a good impression in front of the crowd, shouted at Mubarak and pushed
him away, thereby incurring a curse: "Now you are condemned to be a blasphemer until
the Day of Judgment. And all you do is nothing, nothing, nothing at all."
In the second part, Professor Zia's son tells a bitter truth in a letter to his father:
"People want to live a long life, but they also know that long life in this world consists
of hardship and work. Those who want to stay in the world for a long time cannot find
a way to escape the ever-approaching hardships of old age. And even if they find one,
they do not realize that the world itself will one day disappear." This is the same truth.
The goal of scientists at the international conference was to create an eternally living
person. They succeeded in this in a sense, but can he be called a human? Unfortunately,
this creature, which can quickly change its appearance, escapes and is doomed to eternal
exile. Scientists have gone against the laws of the universe and have suffered
degradation.
We can see this in the conclusion given in the third part of the work. "On a newly
opened sand page, a man is walking alone across the desert.
He was a tall, naked man with long hair that fell to his shoulders. You will
remember this man even more in later centuries. Sometimes he is mentioned as a symbol
of people condemned to wander, sometimes as a symbol of destinies and nations, and he
is called "The Eternal Wanderer”.
2
D.Toshpulatova “Author's consciousness in modern Uzbek prose and forms of its expression” dissertation 2022
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Although attempts to improve humans have been going on for thousands
of years, today's event was a sign that humanity is entering a new phase, concluding its
quest. Professor Zia's son says that the solution to all puzzles is to believe in the Creator
and to accept the eternal destiny. "I now see such people in every country, in every corner
of the world, along with honest and faithful people... I am looking for ways not to be in
such a predicament," he says.
Literary critic Dilmurot Kuronov writes about this: "In "Boqiy Darbadar", instead
of the plot typical of a traditional epic, events that take place in different places and
times, sometimes in reality, sometimes in fantasy, are described, and although there is
no hero at the center like in a treatise, they are united by the author's personality, who is
absorbed in thinking about one thing - the meaning of life and the fate of humanity,
turning them into a single whole - a novel...”
3
. After this definition by Dilmurot Kuranov,
it can be said that this is not only a work of art, but also a work of postmodernism that
can interest readers as a work of life philosophy and deep psychological analysis. After
all, depicting the world in various fragments was considered one of the main laws of
postmodernism.
Isajon Sultan, speaking about the novel "The Eternal Wanderer", said: "This little
novel of only eighty pages was written for a very long time, I started it around 1998. It
seemed that there were many people in the world who had lost their holy destinations
and goals and were wandering around the world, but I could not find a form for
expression. Interestingly, a shoemaker raised his hand to Jesus (peace be upon him) and
was cursed with the curse of eternal life. I had never even thought about the possibility
that eternal life could be a disaster, although countless people are running around in the
world in the desire to stay forever." The writer spent almost twenty years thinking about
writing the work, cooking reality in the world of imagination. Searching for meaning in
life.
Literary critic Rahimjon Rahmat, who wrote the afterword to the author's book
"The Eternal Wanderer", also expresses the following idea: "The feeling that prompted
Isajon to write the work "The Eternal Wanderer" is precisely the extraordinarily strong
feeling of the end, the smooth and vivid feeling of the grinding of the values of this
world in the great mill called the end. This feeling is the initial basis of the work "The
Eternal Wanderer". The writer understands that the melodies of wandering prevail in the
melody called life that man plays"
4
.
3
Dilmurot Kuronov "Thought-provoking works" "Star of the East" magazine 2010.
4
Rahimjon Rahmat From "Munojot" to "
Eternal Wanderer" Turan Zamin Ziya 2017.
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While writing the work, the writer tries to write at the intersection of the
laws of creation of the universe, examples of folk oral creativity, the harmony of
religious and modern views, and technological achievements. This work describes the
internal contradictions of man, difficulties in life and spiritual searches. The life
difficulties presented through images in the work attract many readers and encourage
them to compare them with their own lives. Reading this work helps readers better
understand the human psyche, its problems and goals in life. The work has caused many
analyzes and studies. This, of course, increases its literary value. The works of the writer,
who has managed to win the love of many readers with his creative examples, are
currently being translated into several languages.
The conclusion drawn from the novel is that we cannot be equal to the Creator,
that we are helpless servants in front of His power, that a human being cannot claim
eternity, genius, or godhood, and that when the time comes, a person can easily surrender
his soul. A single mistake made without thinking is condemned to eternal "misery" until
the Day of Judgment. In order for a person not to be condemned to eternal misery, he
must acquire knowledge and use it for good. It is necessary to believe in the Creator,
fate is eternal, and only prayer can change it. At this point,
I found the wise words of Rumi to be appropriate: "O heart, why are you unaware of the
world? You are busy day and night collecting worldly goods. You take one shroud from
the worldly goods, and whether you will take that or not is in doubt.
References:
1. Isajon Sultan “Eternal Wanderer” “Sharq yulduzi” magazine 2011
2. Damin Turayev “Philosophical adventure novel” “Turon zamin ziyo” publishing
house 2017
3. D. Toshpu’latova “Author's consciousness in modern Uzbek prose and forms of its
expression” dissertation 2022
4. Dilmurot Kuronov “Works that encourage thinking” “Sharq yulduzi” magazine 2010
5. Rahimjon Rahmat From “Munojot” to “Eternal Wanderer” Turon zamin ziyo 2017
