Congratulations to contributor Jacques Fleury, who was chosen among 4,000 competitors from 83 countries as a recipient of the 2026 International Naji Naaman Literary Prize for Creativity!

Also, Synchronized Chaos contributor Marisa LaPorte has a new book out, which includes a few poems Synchronized Chaos published.

Dead Grandmas Are Universal by Marisa LaPorte is a raw, intimate poetry collection that traces the emotional inheritance of trauma, grief, queerness, mental illness, and survival through the lens of womanhood. Across deeply confessional free verse poems, the author explores complicated legacies passed down through generations of women: addiction, abuse, self-destruction, resilience, and the desperate longing to be loved without disappearing in the process. If you’re interested in reading and reviewing the book, please let us know.

It’s been said that life isn’t so much about finding oneself as it is creating oneself. In this issue, contributors suggest that statement could also prove true about meaning in life, that it’s something we can build by ourselves or together over time.

Several contributors begin by confronting life’s darker realities. J.J. Campbell’s To Live Your Dreams, as reviewed by Cristina Deptula, expresses a deep desire for human connection and understanding despite loneliness, trauma, and despair. J.J. Campbell’s poetry later in this issue further develops the theme of alienation, including from one’s own aging, weakening body. George Gad Economou reflects on the allure and consequences of excessive drinking, reflecting on the bittersweet memories that remain long after moments of indulgence have passed. Nad Raf addresses loss, betrayal, and personal recovery, finding herself among the neglected and forgotten, while Elaine Murray finds solace in grief through her memories of love. Hussein Nasr Jabr looks at loss and others’ struggles with tenderness, while Stephen Jarrell Williams and Marisa LaPorte speak to relationships lost and those that drift apart. These works suggest that meaning often emerges through the honest confrontation of suffering.

Themes of power and vulnerability also appear throughout the issue. Alan Catlin creates a sense of dislocation in his work that demonstrates the psychological brutality of government authority and institutional control, while Mykyta Ryzhykh demonstrates the powerlessness of individuals confronting systemic violence. Mickey Corrigan excoriates those who believe their wealth and power insulate them from accountability. Anonymous issues a revolutionary declaration against Elon Musk. Fhen M.’s criticism of Bagulaya’s Marxist analysis of contemporary Waray Filipino poetry reminds us that our lives and imaginations exist on multiple aesthetic levels and cannot be reduced just to socioeconomics. Together, these works remind readers that artistic expression remains a powerful means of resistance and reflection.

At the same time, many contributors celebrate the everyday experiences that connect people to one another. Abbie Huh captures summer moments filled with warmth, welcome, and abundance. A. Iwasa’s review of Ivan Salinas’ Dealer highlights the ordinary beauty of these slices of life amongst classic cars. Mark Young finds a mixture of wry humor and joy in ordinary encounters and systems of social etiquette. Dianne Reeves Angel transforms interactions among women into a poetic song and dance, while Christina Chin’s illustrated haiga commemorates a simple yet meaningful exchange of craft. Soumen Roy and Mesfakus Salahin speak elegantly of love and connection as Lan Xin urges people searching for true love to continue to be kind and true to themselves. Bill Tope’s inclusive prom story similarly celebrates community and acceptance. Jacques Fleury’s poem speaks to getting out of one’s personal comfort zone to build bridges across social barriers. Jernail S. Anand celebrates the role many women have historically played holding families and communities together and promoting peace, as Danijela Ćuk urges the world to pursue peace and compassion. Naeem Aziz celebrates an act of heroic rescue where a man showed up for a young girl in need. Qahramonova Zahro Qahramonovna pays poetic tribute to her family and her heritage. Mahbub Alam honors a long-term loving marriage as Graciela Noemi Villaverde finds exquisite and delicate beauty in a newer relationship and Mirta Liliana Ramirez reflects on short, but meaningful loves. These works reveal the significance hidden within ordinary encounters and shared experiences.

Art itself becomes a source of connection and renewal throughout the collection. Joseph Ogbonna reimagines Leonardo’s Mona Lisa as a confident and engaging presence, bridging centuries of artistic admiration. Priyanka Neogi celebrates Charlie Chaplin’s artistry. Mohammed Al Gaddafi Masoud’s poetry celebrates creativity, joy, and human fellowship. Sayani Mukherjee reflects on the sacrifices involved with and the transcendent possibilities of artistic creation, acknowledging both beauty and impermanence. Noah Berlatsky humorously probes the limits of human logic and classification, while Thi Lan Anh Tran and Musharraf Hussa evoke elusive presences that linger at the edge of human consciousness. Together, these works demonstrate art’s ability to deepen awareness and foster connection across time and experience.

Nature serves as another important source of meaning. Duane Vorhees contemplates the cyclical patterns that unite human life with the natural world. Ananya S. Guha explores memory, imagination, and time through encounters with nature, while Nurbek Norchayev reflects on sorrow, happiness, and life’s purpose amid beautiful landscapes. Emmanuel Taiwo draws comfort from nature’s cycles of birth, life, and death, and Brian Barbeito pursues spiritual insight through both wilderness contemplation and the quiet observations of a summer poolside scene. Eva Lianou Petropoulou’s works celebrate peace, sunshine, childhood, love, and hope. Christina Chin’s haiku and art showcase dragon boat racing. Collectively, these contributions suggest that nature offers both perspective and renewal, helping individuals understand their place within larger cycles of existence.

Many writers also emphasize the importance of preserving and transmitting knowledge. Ismatova Dilnura highlights the role of books in children’s education, while Sharifov Sirojiddin Shavkatovich examines the history and significance of calculus as a cornerstone of human understanding. Akbarova Farangiz explores the use of folk proverbs as a literary device in Abdulla Qodiriy’s novel O‘tkan Kunlar (Bygone Days). Jasmina Qahramonjonova honors the dedication and achievement of athletes whose discipline inspires others. Timothee Bordenave seeks a rational and ethical framework for living that promotes both personal fulfillment and social well-being. Karimova Navbaxar Mahmudjanovna honors the importance and dignity of the teaching profession. These works underscore humanity’s ongoing effort to learn, grow, and pass wisdom from one generation to the next.

The collection further broadens its perspective by addressing collective responsibility and hope for the future. Dilnoza Jabborova’s examination of pollution in the Aral Sea serves as both a warning and a testament to the possibility of environmental restoration. Oʻktamova Sabrina Mahmud qizi urges mulching and natural soil enhancement to improve agricultural fertility. Shonazarova Parizod recognizes the often-unseen labor of volunteers whose efforts sustain communities. Maki Starfield proposes that humanity’s current crises may be addressed through a synthesis of scientific knowledge, spiritual understanding, and ancient wisdom. These contributions encourage readers to view personal meaning as inseparable from the well-being of society and the planet.

Taken together, these works reveal that our lives do not have to be meaningless. Meaning can emerge through memory and imagination, struggle and perseverance, learning and creativity, nature and community. Whether confronting loss, celebrating beauty, questioning authority, preserving knowledge, or imagining a better future, each contributor illuminates a different aspect of humanity’s ongoing search for connection, purpose, and renewal. The result is a rich tapestry of voices that affirms both the complexity of human experience and the enduring hope that gives it meaning.

In today’s rapidly changing world one of the most pressing topics is the great importance of books in developing children’s thinking. We can say that by reading books, children are finding solutions to the world’s most complex problems, thereby contributing to the development and future of our countries. 

Today, the only thing that leads children to perfection and success is the book.  In my opinion, every child has read a book at least once in their life. For example, a piece of work, a novel, a drama, or simple literature from a book.  By this, I mean that books primary invite children to reading and literacy. Furthermore, through reading books children are enhancing their mental intellect and critical thinking in serious areas.  That is to say, easy solutions to the economic, social, and spiritual-culture problems of our countries are being found with the help of books. Another aspect is that the gems of Uzbek literature teach children the roots of our history; the reason is that it shows how humanitarian, brave, and most importantly, patient the Uzbek people are. Based on this, I want to say that to build the future, one must look back at history; as a result, history will pave your way to success, drawing from it is own hardships.  This opinion of mine is, on the contrary like a battle on a reflected stage.

Because in the war, thousands of our grandfather fought putting their lives in the line, and if necessary, sacrificing them. Do you think they did not have fathers, mothers, spouses, or children waiting for them anxiously at home? Of course they did! But they possessed pride, honor, and a sense of responsibility. I can say with confidence that these books will help children take steps toward a great future.

Furthermore, children learn how difficult life can be and how to respond to it appropriately.  In, reading books can be useful not only for children but also for adults.  For instance, Yu Hua’ s famous work “To Live” helps to further increase the patience and resilience of our women today. In my perspective, this book reflects the hardships of an entire family, and even the suffering of a woman who lost all her children and her ability to endure these difficulties. I believe that this story can serve as an example for our women. 

In final conclusion,  a book is not just an object that leads people to perfection,  but rather a guide that shows them the way.  It is known that for many children,  a books a source of knowledge and one of the most enjoyable activities 

My name is Ismatova Dilnura.  I was born on October 11, 2010, in Shahrisabz district of Qashqadaryo region, Uzbekistan. Moreover, in order to expand my worldwide and mental capacity, I have been learning various languages and reading books.  In addition, thanks to my knowledge of foreign languages, I have been participating as a volunteer in my events, festivals, and large pavilions. And also, currently, I am continuously developing myself and further increasing my knowledge in order to realize my many dreams. 

The Executive Enabler

Working for 18 years
for the best boss ever
a 30-something
hot blonde divorcee
alone in the Big Apple
sent by a headhunter
to a wealthy financier
his team of assistants
lawyers, traders
a masseuse every day
she schedules them
in her private office
in his brownstone
in his home
setting dates, times
travel plans, meals, gifts
girls, young girls
and their friends
her own life suburban
a husband in Connecticut
a baby on the way
a doubled salary to stay
a car, a nanny, a loan
and an NDA the girls
come and go she keeps
arranging payments, visas
flights, schedules
island vacations
very famous men
very young women
she sees nothing
knows nothing
does nothing
says nothing
at her hearing
after the fact.

a fascist is a fascist is a fascist

Night town
white town
deep snow
deep cold
color white
but here we all are
hybrid nation of individual
freedoms blackbooted
stomped and kicked aside
laws, norms, civility
under hard ice feet
glorifying the crush
the masks the heavy arms
bulked up brutality
colorless cruelty
attack dogs clawing
what stands in the way
of a bulldozed morality
while the red rose pools
red  red  red
on the soft white snow.

The Enigmatic Everybody

I am become an enigma to myself.—St. Augustine

Everybody does what everybody does
with a lunatic’s clarity building
the same billionaire bunkers
on green plastic grass
the same shiny luxury cars
on the Italian stone drive
on the razor’s edge
between boredom and suicide
everybody does what everybody does
the same Mar-a-Lago face
under the same blunt cut
the same slink, sassy shoes
inflated breasts and lips
the muscles maxxed
worked up, injected
the same dark shades hiding
eyes without occupancy
on the razored border
between lived and lost
everybody does what everybody does
same movies, shows, media slop
thoughts and conversations
the endless drive for more
attention, goods, money
talking to itself it is all
anyone can do to be
alive, a self, awake
as the lands burn
as the seas rise
as the species die off
as the planet wobbles
on this razor’s edge
everybody does what everybody does
until they do something else.

Waray Literature and Kimball’s Critique of Contradictions in Eagleton’s Work

III

The Leyte Samar Heritage Center has a cozy bookstore called Kaaradman Library & Bookshop, which specializes in Visayas literature. They carry titles like Pinili: 15 Years of Lamiraw, Tinalunay: Hinugpong nga Panurat nga Winaray, and Sa Atong Dila: Introduction to Visayan Literature. I picked up Bagulaya’s Writing Literary History there. Afterwards, I headed to Dunkin’ Donuts on Salazar Street and devoured the book over donuts and iced coffee. It was dusk. The first page I read was Bagulaya’s critique of modernist literature.

Both Brooks and Richards obviously privilege the language of poetry. But this privileging denies practical logic which makes poetry anti-logic. It reduces the poem to New Critical sophistry. No wonder Brooks appreciated Donne’s poem for its paradox: “The lovers in rejecting life actually win the most intense life” (Brooks 1972, 38). From the above sophistry, it is obvious that New Criticism is not only anti-practical logic, it is at the same time metaphysical. They are able to resolve the apparent contradictions not in the material reality, but in metaphysical space of the poem. Moreover, the notion that poetry is different from the normal prose language because it uses metaphor is also unacceptable. As critic Terry Eagleton counters, “the idea that there is a single normal language, a common currency shared equally by all members of a society, is an illusion” (1983, 5). (Bagulaya 100 emphasis added)

IV

The following applies Kimball’s critiques, originally directed at Eagleton, to Bagulaya’s “The Ideology of Modern Waray Poetry,” examining the parallels point by point.

Forcing Everything into a Marxist Framework

Kimball’s criticism of Eagleton: His discussion of aesthetics “transforms a philosophical innovation into a dramatic example of class warfare… as if reason were a feudal lord oppressing the serfs of sensation” (24). Bagulaya does exactly this. He takes poems that appear to be about personal, intimate experiences – such as Victor Sugbo’s “Kan Margaret,” which is simply about an uncle leaving his niece (Bagulaya 110) – and forces them into an allegory of “city vs. countryside,” “center vs. periphery,” and “semifeudal exploitation.” Just as Kimball accused Eagleton of twisting Baumgarten’s aesthetics into a narrative of political oppression, Bagulaya reduces every line of poetry to a symptom of economic relations. He assumes that everything (the choice of subject, the use of imagery, the decision to write about private life) must ultimately be explained by the “semicolonial, semifeudal” structure of the economy. Bagulaya posits that “Modern Waray poetry has so far been argued as the most recent cultural development of the persistent semicolonial, semifeudal Philippine economy (120). To Kimball, this is not analysis; it is ideological projection: seeing only what your theory tells you to see, regardless of what the work actually says or means.

Misinterpretation and Distortion of Meaning

Kimball’s criticism of Eagleton: “[He] drastically misreads the philosophers he discusses” misunderstanding Schopenhauer’s pessimism as a product of ‘class history’ rather than an essential feature of existence (24). Bagulaya fundamentally misrepresents the meaning and value of modern Waray poetry. He interprets its focus on the private realm, intimacy, and personal emotion as a sign of indifference, political unconsciousness, or support for the status quo. But as Kimball would argue, this is a total misreading. The turn toward the personal is not necessarily a “failure” or a hidden political stance; it can be a deliberate choice to explore human experience, beauty, memory, or individual truth, which are valid and meaningful in themselves.

Bagulaya claims that because these poets do not write explicitly about revolution or class struggle, they are “unconscious” or trapped in “split modernism.” This is like Eagleton saying art is only valuable if it serves a political end. Kimball would point out that Bagulaya judges the poetry only by his own political standard, completely missing its literary, emotional, or cultural value. He mistakes literary autonomy (the freedom of art to be about things other than politics) for a flaw or a contradiction.

Obsession with “Contradictions” That Exist Only in the Theory

Kimball’s criticism of Eagleton: “One must always be suspicious when a Marxist uses the term ‘contradiction,’ because it usually means that some aspect of reality is not conforming to his vision of things” (24). The entire analysis revolves around the idea of “split modernism,” the claim that modern Waray poetry is contradictory because it mixes modern techniques with traditional or romantic themes, and because it is caught between feudalism and modernity. Kimball would argue that this “contradiction” is not a flaw in the poetry, but a flaw in Bagulaya’s model.

There is nothing contradictory or wrong about a culture or literature blending old and new, local and foreign, personal and social. This is normal in every living tradition. But because Bagulaya measures reality against a rigid Marxist model of historical development (where things should move from feudal to modern in a straight line), he calls it a “split.” As Kimball said about Eagleton: “Minus that [Marxist model], it is merely a complex process that refuses to accommodate itself to the predictions of philosophers.” Bagulaya creates the problem himself, then blames the poetry for it.

Reducing Art to Ideology, Denying Intrinsic Value

Kimball’s criticism of Eagleton: “[He does not] care much for literature except in so far as it is an instrument for social change” (24). This is the core of Bagulaya’s argument. For him, poetry has no intrinsic value. It is good or bad, progressive or backward, only based on how well it reflects or challenges the economic base. He writes: “Modernist aesthetics is not enough… It takes a twenty-first century socialist revolution to transform poetry.”

To Kimball, this is the ultimate reductionism. It means that art is nothing more than a tool or a symptom. Bagulaya dismisses the beauty, skill, imagination, and emotional power of Waray poetry as secondary or even irrelevant. Just as Kimball rejected Eagleton’s view that aesthetic experience is “as coercive as law,” he would reject Bagulaya’s view that a poem about family or nature is actually just a hidden statement about surplus value or feudal exploitation. He would say: This tells us nothing about poetry, but everything about the critic’s obsession with politics.

Obscurantism and Dogma

Kimball’s criticism of Eagleton: His writing often becomes obscure and forced; full of jargon that keeps reality at bay. Bagulaya relies heavily on abstract terms like semicolonial semifeudalism, political unconscious, split modernism, ideological position, center vs. periphery, terms that function like a closed system. Once you accept these definitions, his conclusions follow automatically. But as Kimball would note, these are not discoveries; they are assumptions built into the language. By using this kind of jargon, Bagulaya avoids actually engaging with the poetry on its own terms. Instead of describing what the poems mean, he describes only how they fit (or fail to fit) his theory. And like Eagleton, he ends with a dogmatic conclusion: only a socialist revolution can save it, a solution that comes straight from ideology, not from literary analysis.

This analysis is a perfect example of what happens when literary criticism is swallowed whole by Marxist ideology. Bagulaya reads every poem as a coded document about class and economics, misinterprets the legitimate choice of personal themes as political failure, invents ‘contradictions’ that exist only in his own theoretical framework, and reduces the rich, diverse tradition of Waray poetry to nothing more than a reflection of the economy. It is not an analysis of literature, it is ideology in action. It tells us almost nothing about the poetry itself, but a great deal about the rigid, reductive worldview of the critic.

V

Bagulaya’s Writing Literary History gives space to Sugbo’s Waray verses. On page 277, you’ll find the opening lines of Sugbo’s poem “This Anticipation for Poetry”.

How wearisome this search for poetry

More so when neither moon nor sun on you shines

The speaker is describing that looking for, creating, or seeking out poetry feels tiring, tedious, and exhausting. The act of trying to find or write poetry is difficult and draining; it feels like a heavy, unending effort. The sun and moon are metaphors of light, hope, clarity, inspiration, and guidance. The speaker is saying that the effort to find or make poetry is already tiring, but it becomes even more difficult and disheartening when there is no inspiration, guidance, or hope. Without that “light” (creativity, meaning, or motivation), the search feels pointless, bleak, and heavy. It describes the frustration of trying to create or find art when there is no inspiration or reason to keep going. 

Short Biography

Fhen M.’s essay “Waray Literature and Kimball’s Critique of Contradictions in Eagleton’s Work” appears in Synchronized Chaos, an interdisciplinary journal focused on art, music, culture, science, and literature. Literary Heist also publishes his prose “Imagination of Disaster in the Major Works of Henry James: A Study by Genotiva.” From 2016 to 2017, he worked as an academic writer at Zeveral Academic Consultants Inc. in Pasig City, Metro Manila. During his tenure, his team leader gifted him a copy of the 2014 animated film The Prophet, adapted from Kahlil Gibran’s 1923 book. The film follows Mustafa, a poet and activist under house arrest in Ottoman-era Lebanon, as he engages in profound conversations with the townspeople on topics like work, love, and death. One of Gibran’s notable poems featured in the film is “On Work”.

Protest

war is not a protest but a lack of protest
death is not a protest but a lack of protest
laughter is not a protest but a lack of protest
peace is not a protest but a lack of protest
revolution is not a protest but a lack of protest
life is not a protest but a lack of protest

a soldier cannot say no
a citizen cannot say no
a suicide cannot say no
a lonely shadow cannot say no

letters do not arrive
letters do not sent

a bed under an apple tree
an apple on a bed

a drop of execution sleep at sunset

THE EXPRESSION OF FOLK PROVERBS IN THE TEXT OF THE NOVEL “O‘TKAN KUNLAR”

Abstract: This article analyzes the artistic and linguistic features of folk proverbs used in Abdulla Qodiriy’s novel O‘tkan Kunlar (Bygone Days). The study examines the role of proverbs in enriching the system of characters, their function in the speech of the protagonists, and their significance in reflecting the national mentality. The research also explores the ways in which proverbs are integrated into the text structure, their contextual meanings, and their stylistic functions.

Keywords: Folk proverbs, O‘tkan Kunlar, Abdulla Qodiriy, literary text, linguostylistics, paremia, speech culture, imagery.

Abdulla Qodiriy’s novel O‘tkan Kunlar occupies a special place in Uzbek literature. The work is distinguished not only by its high artistic value but also by its unique language and style. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the masterful use of folk proverbs, which represent some of the finest examples of oral folk creativity.

Folk proverbs are forms of wisdom passed down from generation to generation, embodying the life experiences and intellectual heritage of the people. They are concise yet profound expressions that reflect the worldview and cultural values of a nation. Qodiriy employs this rich heritage skillfully; he does not insert proverbs mechanically into the text but integrates them harmoniously with the psychology of the characters, the development of the plot, and the ideological message of the novel.

Although O‘tkan Kunlar has been extensively studied, the linguistic and stylistic analysis of its proverbs has not yet become a fully explored field of research. Therefore, this topic remains highly relevant. The present article aims to identify the proverbs found in the novel, classify them into thematic groups, determine their contextual functions, and demonstrate their value within the literary text.

When discussing the integration of proverbs into literary texts, it should be noted that the use of folk proverbs in literature has a long tradition. However, each writer continues this tradition in a unique way. Qodiriy employs three main methods of incorporating proverbs into his novel.

The first method is the use of a proverb in its complete and unchanged form. In such cases, the proverb appears directly in the speech of a character or in the author’s narration, allowing the reader to recognize it immediately. For example, the proverb “The dog barks, but the caravan moves on” is used in this manner.

The second method involves adapting a proverb to fit the context. In such instances, the core meaning of the proverb remains intact, while the word order or certain lexical elements are modified. This technique allows the proverb to blend more naturally into the text.

The third method is the indirect expression of a proverb’s meaning. Here, the proverb itself is not explicitly stated; instead, its essence is conveyed through the actions of the characters or the reflections of the narrator. This is the most complex method and requires a higher level of literary competence from the reader.

Qodiriy’s mastery lies in his ability to combine these three methods harmoniously. As a result, the text gains multiple layers of meaning rather than remaining a straightforward narrative.

The proverbs found in O‘tkan Kunlar can be classified into several thematic groups:

1. Proverbs about human relationships and loyalty;

2. Proverbs about wisdom and life experience.

The first group is the most common in the novel. Since the central theme of the work is love and loyalty, Qodiriy frequently employs proverbs related to these concepts. Proverbs such as “A good friend is like one’s hands and feet; a bad friend is a headache” are used to evaluate the relationships between Otabek and the people around him. Such proverbs serve as criteria for assessing the character and behavior of others.

Proverbs related to love are primarily used to express the feelings and devotion between Otabek and Kumush. These proverbs not only create a particular emotional atmosphere but also enable readers to gain deeper insight into the inner worlds of the characters.

The speeches of older characters, especially Yusufbek Hoji and other experienced figures, contain numerous proverbs related to wisdom and life experience. Proverbs such as “A wise enemy is better than a foolish friend” enrich their speech and emphasize their image as wise and knowledgeable individuals.

These proverbs form the educational and enlightening layer of the novel. Through them, Qodiriy conveys valuable life lessons to readers, not through direct preaching but through artistic expression.

The novel portrays the complexity of life and the unexpected turns of human destiny. Accordingly, proverbs expressing ideas such as “The heart longs for what the eyes have seen” or “No one can escape death” are reflected throughout the work. Such proverbs are often used during moments of hardship, despair, and suffering experienced by the characters.

These proverbs allow the misfortunes faced by the characters to be interpreted from a folk-philosophical perspective and contribute to the tragic tone of the novel.

In contexts associated with positive characters, especially Yusufbek Hoji, proverbs about hard work and perseverance are frequently encountered. Proverbs carrying meanings similar to “Those who strive achieve their goals” reflect the characters’ active approach to life and their philosophy of diligence.

One of the most important stylistic techniques employed by Qodiriy is adapting proverbs to the individual speech characteristics of his characters. Through this method, each character acquires a distinct linguistic portrait.

Yusufbek Hoji’s speech is particularly rich in proverbs. This is not accidental: he is a man of experience, wisdom, and eloquence. The proverbs he uses are carefully considered and perfectly suited to the situations in which they appear. At the same time, they deepen and enrich his character.

In contrast, the proverbs found in Kumush’s speech perform a somewhat different function. They are more emotional and heartfelt, serving as expressions of her inner feelings and emotional struggles. Here, the proverb functions not as a logical conclusion but as a manifestation of emotion.

Negative characters such as Hamid also use proverbs, but they often employ them incorrectly or manipulate them for personal gain. Through this technique, Qodiriy reveals the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of such characters.

In O‘tkan Kunlar, proverbs simultaneously perform several stylistic functions.

As a means of description. Proverbs often provide a level of precision and conciseness that cannot be achieved through ordinary language. Instead of lengthy descriptions, Qodiriy can portray an entire situation through a single proverb.

As a compositional device. In certain chapters and sections, proverbs serve as compositional nodes. They may momentarily pause the flow of events, encouraging readers to reflect, or they may prepare the ground for subsequent developments.

As a means of preserving national color. O‘tkan Kunlar depicts Uzbek life in the nineteenth century. Proverbs play a crucial role in recreating the speech and communication style characteristic of that period. They strengthen the historical and national atmosphere of the novel.

As a means of revealing character psychology. In many cases, the choice of a particular proverb and the context in which it is used reveal important aspects of a character’s inner world and emotional state. This forms part of Qodiriy’s technique of psychological realism.

A linguistic analysis of the proverbs in the novel reveals several important features.

Lexical characteristics. Proverbs generally employ simple and widely understandable vocabulary. However, this simplicity is only superficial; each word is carefully selected and precisely placed. The novel also contains archaic lexical elements, enriching its historical and linguistic dimension.

Syntactic characteristics. Most folk proverbs consist of two parts: the first presents a condition or description, while the second provides a conclusion. This parallel syntactic structure is preserved in the proverbs found throughout the novel. Such a structure creates rhythmic appeal and facilitates memorization.

Figurative usage. Many of the proverbs in the novel contain metaphors, comparisons, and irony. These figurative devices elevate them beyond simple didactic statements and transform them into genuine artistic expressions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, O‘tkan Kunlar is not only a masterpiece of Uzbek literature but also an exemplary illustration of how folk proverbs can be effectively integrated into a literary text. Abdulla Qodiriy demonstrates remarkable skill in using proverbs: he incorporates them naturally into the narrative, employs them effectively in character development, and relies on them as one of the principal means of preserving national color and historical atmosphere.

The thematic and linguistic study of the proverbs in the novel reveals new layers of meaning within the text. This once again confirms the promising potential of studying Qodiriy’s literary heritage from the perspectives of modern literary criticism and linguistics. Future research may yield significant results through comparative analyses of the proverbs in O‘tkan Kunlar and those found in the works of other Uzbek writers.

Akbarova Farangiz was born on May 16, 2005, in Qumqorgon district, Surkhandarya region. She is currently a 3rd-year student at Termiz University of Economics and Service, Faculty of Pedagogy and Social Sciences, majoring in Preschool and Primary Education with a specialization in Foreign Language, Group 2.23.