Maxmasharifova Shodiyabegim

A prospective specialist acquiring knowledge in Economics and Pedagogy

The Motif of Fear in Abdulla Qahhor’s Short Story “Daxshat”:

The Clash Between Psychology and Social Environment

Abstract

This article analyzes the short story “Daxshat” by the prominent Uzbek writer Abdulla Qahhor. In the work, the motif of fear is not presented merely as a narrative element, but as a manifestation of the violation of individual social rights and profound psychological suffering. The story is examined from the perspective of modern psychology, particularly through the theory of fear developed by Sigmund Freud. The literary-critical views of Ozod Sharafiddinov and Matyoqub Qo‘shjonov are also discussed in a scholarly and publicistic manner.

Keywords: Abdulla Qahhor, “Daxshat”, Unsin, motif of fear, social oppression, realism, cemetery.

Abdulla Qahhor entered Uzbek literature like “a ray of light.” Each of his short stories represents a small world; however, carrying the weight of this world requires considerable emotional and intellectual readiness from the reader. Despite their concise form, Qahhor’s stories possess deep psychological intensity.

As literary scholar Ozod Sharafiddinov noted:

“Qahhor turns his gaze to such layers of the human soul where the boundary between fear and courage, baseness and nobility, is thinner than a strand of hair.”

The image of Unsin in Abdulla Qahhor’s short story “Daxshat” exists precisely on this fragile psychological boundary. Analyzing Unsin’s inner experiences through the lens of modern psychology—specifically Sigmund Freud’s theory of fear—helps reveal the core essence of the work. Freud classified fear into three types: real fear, neurotic fear, and moral fear. In Unsin’s character, all three forms tragically collide.

Real Fear and the External Environment

According to Freud, real fear arises from a tangible danger in the external world. For Unsin, the nighttime cemetery, wild animals, or corpses represent real sources of danger. However, Qahhor’s artistic mastery lies in using real fear merely as a background element rather than the central focus. When Unsin enters the cemetery, his mind sends a signal to “escape,” yet social pressure and coercion shackle his movements and suppress this instinct.

Moral Fear and the Superego

Moral fear emerges from a person’s sense of responsibility toward their conscience and the moral norms imposed by society. Freud explains this phenomenon through the concept of the Superego. Unsin fears not the horror of the cemetery as much as Dodkho’s wrath and the violation of his honor and dignity. His tragedy lies in the fact that the Superego—social obligation—defeats his instinct for survival. Although he fears death, he trembles even more at the prospect of living in forced submission with Dodkho.

Neurotic Fear

The most critical moment in the story occurs when Unsin’s foot sinks into the mud and he imagines that he has stepped on a corpse. This episode is a classic example of neurotic fear as defined by Freud. Here, the threat does not originate from the external world but from the individual’s internal imagination. Under extreme emotional tension and panic, rational thinking collapses. Unsin’s unconscious fears are awakened, and reality is interpreted in a horrifying manner. As a result, the human psyche cannot withstand such pressure.

Regarding this scene, Ozod Sharafiddinov states:

“Unsin’s death is not merely a cardiac arrest, but the collapse of a human imagination that crashes into the terrifying wall it has created itself.”

Literary scholar Matyoqub Qo‘shjonov writes:

“It was not the cemetery that killed Unsin, but the remnants of outdated traditions that enslaved his will and the violation of human dignity that led him to this state.”

Conclusion

The motif of fear in Abdulla Qahhor’s “Daxshat” serves as a symbolic representation of a society in which personal freedom is suppressed. Through Unsin’s tragic death, the author exposes the ugly reality of his era and highlights the individual’s psychological loneliness. The story demonstrates that fear is not solely generated by external threats, but is intensified by inner powerlessness and social oppression.

In my view, for contemporary readers, this story stands as a profound moral lesson emphasizing the importance of protecting human dignity and liberating individuals from the shackles of fear and ignorance.

References

Qahhor, A. Selected Works. Tashkent: G‘afur G‘ulom Publishing House, 2010.

Sharafiddinov, O. The Difficult Path of Creativity. Tashkent: Literature and Art, 1980.

Qo‘shjonov, M. The Mastery of Abdulla Qahhor. Tashkent: Fan, 1988.

Freud, S. Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis. (translated edition)

Victory 

There are many choices, many, many

Don’t sit still, choose one 

Go for victory, striving

Start now, before it’s too late 

We, the descendants of Amir Temur

Let’s take a step without fear 

Let’s not give way to rivals Let’s be honest people 

We are children of an independent country 

Our president created the opportunity 

If you bring victory 

Our people are also happy every moment 

We won! Victory! Victory! 

May the voice of “We won!” come with blessings 

If we achieve victory 

May victories be blessed

To’khtaboyeva Nilufar No’monjon qizi, 1st year student, Faculty of Philology, Journalism Department, Namangan State University

Photos c/o Jacques Fleury

Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Spirit of Change Magazine, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at:  http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–

Renewal and Kindness Celebration

Navruz is one of the most ancient holidays in human history. It symbolizes the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature, and the beginning of a new life. This holiday is celebrated every year on March 21, during the spring equinox. On this day, day and night become equal, and nature enters a period of renewal. The word “Navruz” comes from the Persian language and means “new day.”

According to historical sources, Navruz has a history of at least 3000 years. Its roots go back to the ancient Zoroastrian era. In the ancient book Avesta, there are also references to ceremonies connected with the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. Initially, this holiday was celebrated as the beginning of the agricultural year, and people held various rituals wishing for a rich and fruitful harvest.

Today, Navruz is celebrated not only in Central Asia but also in many countries around the world. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 as the “International Day of Navruz.” In addition, in 2009, Navruz was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

In Uzbekistan, Navruz is considered an important holiday reflecting national values and traditions. During these days, public festivals, national games, and concerts are organized, and traditional foods such as sumalak are prepared. Navruz unites people in the spirit of kindness, friendship, and solidarity.

Navruz is not only a spring holiday but also an ancient cultural tradition that expresses the ideas of peace, renewal, and goodness. For centuries, it has united different nations and continues to remain an important spiritual value for humanity today.

afternoon heat

naps stretch and blur 

in liminal rest

two hot days 

zephyr lilies 

predict rain 

ponding

frogs echo 

one another 

Grokipedia profile: https://grokipedia.com/page/Christina_Chin

REGRET

Why do you test me so much in these trials,

Your dark nights crush me every moment.

Why do you make me suffer this way,

Tell me, will my bright days ever come?

My fate is written in the verses of my life,

I do not know what else you have written there.

While I was walking embraced by dreams,

You handed me a mirage and called it happiness.

Was the life I was meant to see in your world only sorrow?

At your feet my tears were shed without mercy.

Were the pains you gave me still not enough,

Look — my back has bent from misfortune.

Though grief pulled at my hair through the years,

I endured it with courage and left it behind.

Whatever passed over my head until this day,

I lived with patience and hope.

But now for those whose hearts have burned,

When will the torment and pain disappear?

With every frost that falls upon my brows,

I do not know how long my patience will last.

Every time wandering through the city of my heart,

Did you hear my regrets, O God?

Did you cast me mercilessly into these flames,

Or did you love me this much, O God?

Or did you love me this much, O God?

Uzbekistan

GREEN AND YELLOW

Without those colourful floating pills you sink –

bones dropped by a chemical vulture –

to shatter on the rocks of a dead planet.

The pieces of you left intact then wander

through the ruins of lost civilisations

hung with leathery shrunken heads

before boarding a plague cruise ship

to an island of abandoned labyrinths.

After that, it’s dinner with fires all around

while cruel regrets appear like species thought extinct

and wait as snipers for the next mass killing

in this permanent opium war.

EXTRADITION

These little white pills photoshop your mind,

taking you beyond facial recognition

to where anxiety is a distant tremor,

then just a dog stirring in its sleep

and into the fog and silence

of peaceful, invisible zodiacs

where you are the only citizen:

a limpet sheltering on a rock

a trilobite calmly cruising forever

a jellyfish drifting free

a dust mite in a desert.  

CLICKBAIT

The most solid thing I remember

of that day is the gleam, the honest face

of life’s dwindling. I could not keep you,

but only suffer alongside for a while

and then confront the geography of pain,

lost as a lighthouse in the sun.

Maybe I am just inventing a dream

that only a digital clone could give,

but I hope you are still really somewhere

in perfect convergent evolution.

INTROVERSION

An endless silent ceremony

before the white ashes of vanity.

Living in a world of your own words

until everything is a mirror.

The cries of a fabulous creature

hovering pitilessly overhead.

Clinging on like weeds around barbed wire

or birds nesting among spikes and syringes.

Fearing an embassy from another planet

or looters profiting from disaster. 

S.C. Flynn was born in a small town in Australia of Irish origin and now lives in Dublin. His collections are “The Colour of Extinction” (Renard Press, October 2024; Observer Poetry Book of the Month) and “An Ocean Called Hope” (Downingfield Press, May 2025).