THE MOTIF OF METAMORPHOSIS IN MODERNIST LITERATURE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE WORKS OF FRANZ KAFKA AND NAZAR ESHONQUL

Orifjonova Imrona Ulugbek qizi
Second-year student, Department of Uzbek Language and Literature, Faculty of Philology, Andijan State University

Abstract

This thesis presents a comparative-typological analysis of the motif of metamorphosis in the works of Franz Kafka, one of the most prominent representatives of world modernist literature, and Nazar Eshonqul, a leading figure of Uzbek modernism. Based on Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Nazar Eshonqul’s stories Bahovuddin’s Dog and The Invasion, the study examines the issues of spiritual and physical degradation, alienation from society, and existential crisis. The philosophical and aesthetic foundations of the protagonists’ transformations, as well as their ideological similarities and national-artistic peculiarities, are identified and analyzed.

Keywords: modernism, metamorphosis, Franz Kafka, Nazar Eshonqul, alienation, existential crisis, absurdity, mythological thinking, spiritual decline, national memory.

Introduction

In modernist literature, the motif of metamorphosis serves as one of the most powerful artistic and philosophical means of portraying the tragedy of the individual and their alienation from society and from their own self. In Uzbek literature, the writer who successfully synthesized this Western modernist tradition with national realities, historical tragedies, and Eastern philosophy is undoubtedly Nazar Eshonqul. A comparison of his stories The Invasion and Bahovuddin’s Dog with Kafka’s The Metamorphosis reveals both common and distinctive aspects of the two authors’ artistic concepts.

Main Part and Comparative Analysis

In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, the protagonist Gregor Samsa transforms into an insect unexpectedly and abruptly. The event is presented primarily as a physical transformation. The author confronts the reader with a fact that has already occurred and depicts this absurd situation through highly realistic details: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous insect.”

Gregor Samsa’s transformation symbolizes his reduction from a productive member of society and provider for his family into a useless creature. Initially shocked by his condition, his parents and sister gradually begin to feel disgust and hatred toward him. Gregor’s insect-like weakness further intensifies his isolation. Through metamorphosis, Kafka demonstrates how an individual who undergoes change can be forgotten and rejected by even the closest family members, treated as something repulsive and ultimately discarded. In the story, metamorphosis appears almost as an inevitable and natural occurrence.

Unlike Kafka’s works, the process of metamorphosis in Nazar Eshonqul’s stories does not occur suddenly. While Gregor Samsa awakens one morning as an insect, Eshonqul’s protagonists gradually distance themselves from their identity, national memory, and spiritual roots. Here, transformation represents the inevitable outcome of moral decline, either consciously chosen by the individual or accepted under societal pressure. Whereas Kafka reveals the inner state through an external physical transformation, Eshonqul portrays the gradual destruction of the inner self, which eventually leads the character to spiritual and psychological disability—that is, the loss of human identity.

In The Invasion, the protagonist lives in constant fear after his homeland is occupied by invaders. He continuously hides from the enemy. Eventually, when the invaders track him down, he takes refuge in a ruined courtyard. When they enter in pursuit of him, they find not a human being but a small lamb. The metamorphosis in this story possesses a national and social character. The protagonist’s transformation into a lamb symbolizes the complete loss of agency, courage, and love of freedom under colonial oppression, totalitarian rule, and systematic fear. Reduced to the level of a submissive domestic animal, he embodies the tragic psychological destruction of the individual. Unlike Kafka’s biologically inexplicable transformation, Eshonqul’s metamorphosis reflects the devastating effects of social and political pressure on the human psyche.

In the works of both writers, metamorphosis is interpreted as a tragic consequence of the conflict between the individual and society. However, while Kafka explores this process through the lens of absurdism and existential philosophy, focusing on the fate of an individual, Nazar Eshonqul associates it with national history, spiritual crisis, and Eastern thought, including Sufi symbolism and the concept of divine punishment. Therefore, the motif of metamorphosis in Eshonqul’s works can be regarded as a unique continuation and adaptation of Kafkaesque traditions within Uzbek modernist literature.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the motif of metamorphosis in the works of Franz Kafka and Nazar Eshonqul serves as an important artistic device for expressing alienation, spiritual degradation, and existential suffering. Comparative-typological analysis demonstrates that although both writers rely on the general principles of modernist thought, they enrich this motif with new meanings based on their own national and philosophical perspectives. As a result, metamorphosis emerges as a significant factor linking creative interaction and aesthetic development in both world and Uzbek modernist literature.

References

1. Kafka, F. The Metamorphosis (Stories and Novels). Tashkent: Yangi Asr Avlodi, 2018.
2. Eshonqul, N. Bahovuddin’s Dog: Stories, Novellas, and Essays. Tashkent: Sharq, 2012.
3. Eshonqul, N. The Invasion: Collection of Stories. Tashkent: Gafur Ghulom Publishing House, 2006.
4. Yo‘ldoshev, Q. The Burning Word. Tashkent: Yangi Asr Avlodi, 2006.
5. Quronov, D. Introduction to Literary Studies. Tashkent: Muallif, 2015.