The Spiritual World of a Child as an Expression of Tragicness: An
Analysis of Safar Barnoev's Works
Rukhsora Tulabaeva
Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Keywords: Children's Writer, War Tragedy, Tragicness, Story, Child Mentality, Hero Tragedy, Author's Tragedy, Period
Tragedy.
Abstract: The 20th century was a period when Uzbek children's literature was full of contradictions, sometimes bitter
truths were expressed, and sometimes truths were hidden. Although the existing system fully subjugated art
and literature, literary works that reflected human longings, his inner world, and his psyche were also
produced. The Second World War was the most painful topic of the last century, and the tragedy of the war
affected the fate of everyone. This great tragedy was certainly reflected in the works of art and became the
main theme of the day. Participants or workers behind the front became the protagonist of the oeuvres war.
This applies to the lives of children as well as adults. Children were also mobilized for hard work for their
fathers, brothers, and uncles who went to war. These life events were reflected in fiction. Safar Barnoev, a
writer who experienced the hardships of war in his childhood, embodied this timeless theme in children's
literature. The article examined the collection "Stories of 1947" (“1947-yil hikoylari”), which depicted the
wartime events of Safar Barnoev. Issues such as the emergence of the tragedy in the child's psyche and the
reflection of the tragedy of the war in the psyche of the hero and the author were covered.
1 INTRODUCTION
Uzbek children's literature, drawing from folklore
and classical traditions, is nurturing the growth of the
younger generation. Safar Barnoev was a
distinguished figure in 20th-century Uzbek children's
literature. As a prolific writer, Barnoev produced
numerous children's books across a variety of genres.
His poetry and prose were widely admired and
became favourites among children and teenagers. He
penned numerous stories and short stories, capturing
the psyche, joys, and sorrows of teenagers.
Analysing Barnoev's work, H. Nusratova asserts,
"One of the most significant features of Barnoev's
story-writing was his series of stories. 'Stories of
1947' ('1947 –yil hikoylari'), and 'Afghan Stories'
('Afg‘on hikoylari'), belonged to these series. The
writer's 'Stories of 1947' series, comprising more than
ten stories, holds a distinctive position in expressing
animosity towards war. The theme of anti-war
sentiment is portrayed naturally and authentically, at
times overtly, at others symbolically."
*
Corresponding author
In all of Barnoev's stories on the theme of war and
childhood, these two themes are interwoven. The
recurring aspects that unify the "1947 stories" series
are: 1) the uniform theme of condemning war, and 2)
the protagonists of all the stories are children -
specifically, children from the period of war.
(Nusratova H., 2017, 12)
Furthermore, according to the researcher, the
"Afghan stories" series, which comprises 15 stories,
is comparable with the "1947 stories" series in terms
of the core topic. However, the events differ in terms
of time and space. Even though the writer did not
experience the war first-hand, he appeared indirectly
as a participant in the war in the events described in
the "Stories of 1947" series. He wrote the "Afghan
Stories" series through direct participation in the
Afghan war, deeply feeling its tragic impact on
children and successfully expressed the theme of the
tragic life of foreign children during the war.
Barnoev's poems and stories from this series
resonated not only with the Afghan nation but also
with children worldwide. (Nusratova H., 2017, 12)
Tulabaeva, R.
The Spiritual World of a Child as an Expression of Tragicness: An Analysis of Safar Barnoev’s Works.
DOI: 10.5220/0012489400003792
Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 409-413
ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3
Proceedings Copyright © 2024 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda.
409

Safar Barnoev authored numerous books in Uzbek
children's prose that profoundly depicted the teenage
psyche. Notably, the writer pioneered the tradition of
writing a series of stories in Uzbek children's
storytelling. These series gained special significance
because they covered events of political and social
life. While most prose books published in Uzbek
children's literature during the 70s and 80s of the 20th
century reflected the mood of the time and the life and
feelings of teenage children, short stories and
novellas also flourished during this period. These
pieces artistically explored the lives of teenagers in
various ways. The works paid attention to the
development of moral attributes of teenagers, and the
scope of depicting their school-related lives
expanded. Among the works by writers such as H.
Nazir, H. Tokhtaboev, E. Raimov, and H. Polatov
dedicated to this topic, Barnoev's short stories have a
special place. P. Shermuhammedov, in his article
“Kichkintoylar Nigohi”, discussed the
accomplishments and shortcomings of the writer's
short stories “Nur yog‘ilgan kun” ("Sunlight Day")
and “Tutash yo‘llar” ("Connecting Paths")
(Shermuhammedov, 1973, 158). M. Husainov, in his
review article devoted to the analysis of children's
literature of the 70s and 80s, limited his comments to
the writer's novella “Egizaklar” ("Twins"). (Husainov
M., 1989, 223) Although the writer turned to prose
with the intention of providing a broader
interpretation of the theme of war and childhood,
various aspects of a child's character are extensively
covered in his short stories and novellas.
The "Stories of 1947" series includes over ten stories
where the tragedy of war is experienced through a
child's heart, and people's tragic fate is witnessed
through a child's eyes. The story “To‘lin oy” ("Full
Moon"), part of this series, is narrated from the
perspective of a boy whose father has gone to war.
The boy frequently writes letters to his war-bound
father, but he never receives a response. He maintains
the belief that his father will return from the war. The
story concludes with the boy discovering that he has
received a dreaded 'black letter' from his father.
Ultimately, this represents the tragedy of the child's
psyche. Until this point, he believed that his father
would return; he constantly awaited his father's return
and envisioned a future with him. The sudden
realisation of the truth shatters all his dreams and
inspirations.
The tragedy begins before the boy becomes aware of
this fact. The adults, knowing that a 'black letter' has
arrived from his father, send the boy to his
grandfather, who resides in a distant village, and they
grieve and offer condolences. This is hinted at
throughout the story. For example, the grandfather
pats his head with tearful eyes; the grandmother cries
in solitude. These actions, however, remain abstract.
Eventually, the adults recognise that the truth cannot
remain hidden and decide to inform the child of this
fact. "I long for him, looking at the door... When my
mother appears to be alone, I immediately ask the
question: 'Mother, when will father come?'
'Tomorrow.' 'When will he come tomorrow?'"
I am aware that my mother always provides the same
response to my question. Subsequently, she nibbles
on the end of her scarf while staring at me, or she
might say, "Go, play with your friends. I'm tired and
need a rest." (Barnoev S., 1979, 162)
The realisation of the tragedy occurs when the child
returns home - to his mother. Simultaneously, the
reader also comprehends the tragedy that has
transpired: the father has died in the war. This story is
penned as an expression of profound tragedy. To
express such tragedy, the author would have had to
experience a similar situation. In this respect, the
story portrays not only the protagonist's tragedy but
also the author's. After all, Safar Barnoev himself was
orphaned at an early age and endured this tragedy
from his youngest years.
Suvon Meli, a renowned literary scholar, identified
three types of tragicness in his article "Edges of
Tragedy": 1) heroic tragedy, 2) author's tragedy, and
3) period tragedy. (Suvon Meli, 2020, 50-59) In this
regard, we can argue that all three aspects of
tragicness are reflected in the story "Full Moon" from
Safar Barnoev's "Stories of 47 Years" series.
2 EXPERIMENTAL PART
The fate of a boy whose father went to war and never
returned is highlighted in the story "Nasiba" ("Fate")
by Safar Barnoev. From the outset, the ongoing war
is made evident by the people's chatter.
Consequently, the story's characters are not immune
to this tragedy. In the tale, like all fathers, Karimjon's
father is drawn into the conflict. Before he departs,
relatives and neighbours congregate at their home,
each taking a bite from a loaf of bread given to the
father. This ritual is a national tradition, symbolising
the hope that the soldier will not sever ties with his
homeland, but instead will have the fortune to return
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and eat the bread he once bit into. It may be just a
tradition, but for those heading to war and those left
behind, it provided a glimmer of hope — a hope that
the soldier would return alive.
After fathers, husbands, and brothers were
conscripted, life carried on. The burden then fell on
women, the elderly, and children. Karimjon, like all
children, toiled in the fields, carried bread on his
back, and harvested corn. The story's significance lies
in its detailed portrayal of the characters' tragic
circumstances. This detail is encapsulated by a piece
of bread, hinting at its importance right at the start of
the story. At the outset, we read, "Brother, bite the
bread. If you return safely, we'll share the bread and
eat together." (Barnoev S., 1985, 83) This particular
detail might suggest the father's return. However, as
the events unfolded, the opposite proved true.
Each morning, Karimjon would look at the piece of
bread his father had bitten, hanging on the house's
netting before setting off to work, steadfast in his
belief that his father would return. The author narrates
the difficult days, the struggle to make ends meet, and
the hopeful boy awaiting his father during these
challenging years. By the end of the story, the pivotal
detail finally fulfils its role. The bitten bread vanishes,
symbolising the entire tragedy:
"Karim was pleased with his work that day. He had
collected an abundance of corn ears. Nobody had
berated him. The brigadier wasn't present... He left
the bag full of ears in the hall and went into the house,
as usual, to see the bread his father had bitten into. He
stepped inside and froze. He couldn't believe his eyes.
The bread was no longer hanging on the stake. He
hastily felt the wall... He ran out into the yard. His
mother hadn't yet returned from the field. He dashed
directly towards the field where his mother was
working. Seeing her son approach hurriedly, the
mother put down her hoe and went out to meet him:
- What's happened, Karimjon? Has your father come
back?
- No, - replied Karimjon, shaking his head, - there's
no bread that my father bit into.
The mother shivered and sat up abruptly. She then
embraced her son and began weeping
uncontrollably." (Barnoev S., 1985, 87)
By the story's conclusion, it is revealed that
Karimjon's mother had given the bitten bread to the
neighbour's children, who were suffering from
hunger. However, she hadn't anticipated the profound
impact the bread's disappearance would have on her
child.
"Karim was more distraught than when his father had
gone to war; he couldn't sleep and wept throughout
the night:
- The bread's gone; he won't return. His mother's heart
broke at her son's wailing. She hadn't expected this.
What had she done..." (Barnoev S., 1985, 88)
By the end of the story, the boy is resolved to find the
thief who stole the bread. To maintain hope, the
mother assures her child that they will hunt for the
thief together. The story captures the child's anguish
through his actions and words. The portrayal of adults
is also integral to the story. Interactions between
adults, their conversations and dialogues play a
crucial role in expressing the child's persona. The
tragedy – acknowledged by adults but merely sensed,
not fully understood, by the child – is manifest in the
story. The fact that the child is determined to locate
the thief who stole the bread signifies a deep-seated
feeling of the tragedy, despite not comprehending it
entirely. The era's tragedy - the war - represented a
profound calamity that affected all of humanity.
Therefore, the story commences with the depiction of
the tragic mood of the time. The hero's and the
author's tragedies are subtly hinted at throughout the
story and are ultimately fully disclosed. The tragedy
and tragic state of mind experienced and felt by this
hero also serve as an expression of the author's own
tragedy.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In Safar Barnoev's short stories and novellas, tragedy
unfolds not only from the catastrophic events of war
or separation. The writer expertly articulates the
tragic experiences that arise from the interpersonal
relations, conflicts, disagreements, and
misunderstandings of the characters. The story "Izlar"
("Traces") is featured in the book "Soldat qaytgan
kun" ("The Day the Soldier Returned"). As often
emphasized in literature, conflict is vital; sometimes,
it's the most significant aspect of a work. Berdiali
Imomov, in his work titled "Dramatik mahorat sirlar"
("Secrets of Dramaturgical Skill"), represents conflict
as the driving force of dramatic plays. While
B.Imomov argues that conflict shapes the content of
a drama, it is undeniable that conflict manifests itself,
to varying degrees, in every genre.
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"Conflict is a crucial component that propels the
development of events in a work, manifesting in
varying degrees depending on the potential of each
era, each artistic form, and genre. Anxiety stems from
a disruption of harmony, and it is necessary to
eliminate this disturbance. The resolution of conflict
paves the way for restoring previous balance, or the
trajectories shift from one state to another. The
presence of conflict, its development, and resolution
bring closure to the fate of the characters and events.
Conflict fuels the plot. The author should flesh out the
characters without predetermining the events.
Characters evolve throughout the plot, and these
changes also influence the storyline. The plot's
activity facilitates the full unfolding of content.
Conflict is a disagreement between characters. The
clearer and more vividly individualised the characters
are, the more intense and sharp the conflict becomes.
Intrigue, in essence, is also a form of conflict, built on
perplexing events, often found in comedy. There was
a time when the theory of non-conflict prevailed,
causing conflict to disappear or significantly weaken,
not only in novels but also in dramas of that era. The
discontinuation of the non-conflict theory had a
positive impact on the development of literature and
art. An artistic conflict cannot be equated with real-
life conflicts. Conflict was classified into antagonistic
and non-antagonistic types." (Imamov B., 1991, 183)
Conflict (lat. conflict) refers to the mutual struggles
of the characters in an artwork, the clashes between
the hero and his environment, as well as
contradictions within his psyche. Because artwork is
an artistic reflection of reality with the human figure
at its core, all conflicts present in a person's real life
find an artistic representation. (Kuronov D., 2018,
176)
The story "Izlar" is entirely built on the premise of
conflict, with this conflict depicted through the
characters' attitudes and their inner experiences, right
up to the plot's culmination. The protagonists are Year
6 students, but given their varying ages, substantial
conflicts and power struggles ensue. Among them,
Solly is known for his aggressive nature, making all
the students fearful due to his pugnacious tendencies.
Everyone follows Solly's instructions. In the midst of
this, a new student joins the school. Tursunboy, who
until now had studied in a rural school, quickly gains
the respect of his new city school peers, earning
praise from his teachers for his academic excellence.
Naturally, this development does not sit well with
Solly, who is considered the "best" in the class, and
his friends. From this point, it is evident that the plot
begins to be built on the basis of conflict. The initial
conflict progressively escalates throughout the story.
By the story's end, it's clear this conflict has triggered
a deeply poignant and melancholic experience. The
tension is palpable in the dialogues. "After lessons,
Solly slowly signalled us and intercepted Tursunboy.
The three of us encircled him.
- "How are things, scholar, desi?" Soli asked.
-"Good," answered Tursunboy.
-"What's good?"
-"It's good."
-"If you do homework, you must copy it into my
notebook," Halim said seriously.
-"Why?" Tursunboy asked.
-Soli said, "You have to say yes sir to what I said."
-"I won't say so," Tursunboy retorted, "Everyone
should work on their own."
-"That's great," Soli said.
-"So, you don't want to?" Halim approached
Tursunboy.
-"I don't want to," said Tursunboy without
hesitation... (Barnoev S., 1979, 134)
The dialogue ends with the children fighting. But the
result will be different from what was expected.
According to the plan, the three children were going
to beat Tursunboy thoroughly. However, Tursunboy,
who had grown strong from hard work in the village,
overpowered the city children. If the passers-by on
the street hadn't intervened in this commotion and
separated them, the city children would have been in
real trouble. Of course, the story didn't end there. The
conflicts then further escalated. Meanwhile, the
children ordered Tursunboy to steal the class journal.
When Tursunboy refused, they stole it and burnt it
themselves. One day, Tursunboy, preparing a lesson
in the classroom late in the evening, accidentally saw
the burning journal thrown through the window from
outside. The children falsely accused him of stealing
the class journal and burning it. The conflict became
increasingly serious. The school director, teachers,
and Tursunboy's wealthy aunt all pointed fingers at
him. This incident ended with Tursunboy being
expelled from school and returning to his village. The
children in Soli's group would undoubtedly have felt
a slight sense of satisfaction. However, the boy-
narrator-hero admitted that this happiness was
exceedingly hollow and insignificant. He deeply
regretted his unjust treatment of Tursunboy and felt
compelled to do something to atone for this guilt. This
shift indicated that the direction of the conflict in the
story had changed… The conflict was no longer
between the characters but within the psyche of the
hero. This internal conflict was one of the most
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complex aspects of the hero's psyche, which
eloquently expressed the nuances of a person's inner
world.
"Tursunboy," I said quietly.
He stopped. He closed his eyes, then continued on his
way...
I carry a heavy burden...
"... I still haven't gotten rid of that burden..." (Barnoev
S., 1979, 140)
When the hero of the story narrates, it's apparent that
he isn't telling an interesting tale, but expressing his
heartache and pain. After all, one of the heaviest
burdens in the world is a guilty conscience. The
troubled, despondent mood in Kudrat's psyche is felt
from the very beginning of the story. The children are
portrayed as cruel, unkind, and neglected. In
particular, Tursunboy's wealthy aunt nonchalantly
decides to send him back to the village because
Tursunboy accidentally broke her expensive
porcelain bowls. These incidents underscore that
Tursunboy is a tragic figure. By the end of the story,
Qodir is left with an overwhelming regret for his and
his friends' actions. Even when he happens to see
Tursunboy and wishes to speak to him, he finds
himself unable to. This inability also speaks volumes
about his inner turmoil. Experiencing the tragedy of
Tursunboy's oppression, Qodir finds himself living
this tragedy.
In general, in Safar Barnoev's story "Traces", the
psyche of the children, their inner worlds, are vividly
embodied, and the tragic nature of the hero's psyche
is poignantly reflected.
4 CONCLUSION
A characteristic feature of S. Barnoev's books and
style is that any idea the writer wanted to express was
first consistently reflected in his poetry, then in his
lyrical-epic works, prose, and even, when necessary,
in his journalism. He initiated the tradition of writing
a series of stories in Uzbek children's literature, which
is particularly significant because they encompass
events of political and social life.
In general, there are many aspects of Safar Barnoev's
oeuvre that still need to be explored and researched.
After all, Safar Barnoev, as a prolific writer, poet, and
publicist, dedicated his work to children. His prose
profoundly reflected the psyche of teenage children.
In this sense, the expression of tragedy in a child's
psyche also amplified the effectiveness of his books.
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Suvon Meli. 2020 Badiiy tragizm qirralari // So‘zu so‘z
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