THE NATIONAL CHARACTER OF THE UZBEK PEOPLE IN THE WORKS OF MURAD MUHAMMAD DO'ST FROM A LINGVOCULTUROLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This comprehensive article explores the lingvoculturological representation of the Uzbek national character in the literary works of Murad Muhammad Do'st, a prominent Uzbek writer and public figure whose prose vividly captures the socio-cultural, spiritual, and psychological dimensions of Uzbek identity during the late Soviet era and the post-independence period. Through an in-depth analysis of key novels and stories such as Lolazor (1988), Abdullajon (2005), Galatepa qissalari (1985), and Mustafa (short story), the study examines how linguistic elements—idioms, proverbs, dialects, metaphors, and narrative structures—encode national traits including resilience, humor, moral integrity, spiritual introspection, emotionality, irrationality, anxiety, and communal harmony. These features are rooted in Uzbek folklore, Islamic ethics, nomadic heritage, and the collective psyche shaped by historical transitions, such as the stagnation of the recession years, the collapse of communist ideology, and the quest for national renewal. Drawing on lingvoculturological frameworks, the research highlights Do'st's innovative synthesis of Eastern traditions (e.g., mythopoetic thinking and folk oral styles) with Western influences (e.g., polyphony from Dostoevsky, absurdity from Kafka and Camus), demonstrating how language serves as a cultural mirror reflecting the tensions between individual crises and collective identity. The article delves into character archetypes that embody Uzbek national character—such as the introspective leader facing absurdity, the humorous satirist critiquing power, and the resilient commoner navigating spiritual voids—while addressing broader themes of humanism, social critique, and cultural preservation amid globalization.