International Journal Of Literature And Languages
15
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue08 2025
PAGE NO.
15-19
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue08-03
The Interpretation of The Female Character in Ulugbek
Khamdam's Novel "Rebellion and Obedience"
Abdullayev Khamra Dauletbaevich
Professor, candidate of philology sciences, Karakalpak state university, Uzbekistan, Nukus
Received:
11 June 2025;
Accepted:
07 July 2025;
Published:
09 August 2025
Abstract:
The article explores the artistic portr
ayal of female characters in Ulugbek Khamdam’s novel “Rebellion
and Obedience”, focusing on their psychological depth, societal roles, and existential struggles. It examines how
women navigate the tensions between personal freedom and societal expectations, motherhood and
individuality, and rebellion and obedience. Through characters like Aunt Larisa, Diana, and Farida, the novel
presents contrasting archetypes
—
women burdened by loneliness and regret, those entangled in moral ambiguity,
and others anchored
in familial devotion. The analysis highlights Khamdam’s nuanced depiction of female agency,
where characters like Diana reject traditional roles but face existential voids, while Farida embodies resilience
through maternal and spousal loyalty. The article
underscores the novel’s critique of societal norms that
marginalize women’s inner lives, portraying their suffering as both personal and systemic. Khamdam employs
retrospective narration and introspective monologues to reveal the generational echoes in wom
en’s choices, as
seen in Larisa’s tragic solitude and Diana’s cyclical despair. The study also contextualizes these portrayals within
post-independence Uzbek literature, where female characters increasingly reflect complex identities beyond
patriarchal fra
meworks. Ultimately, the novel frames women’s struggles as metaphors for broader human
dilemmas
—
freedom versus duty, self-discovery versus sacrifice
—
making their stories universal. The article
concludes that Khamdam’s artistry lies in humanizing these conf
licts without moral absolutism, inviting readers
to grapple with the interplay of societal constraints and individual agency.
Keywords:
Novel, composition, plot, image, artistic intent, author's speech, character's speech, characterization.
Introduction:
During the period of independence, the
attitude towards national values has been renewed,
and approaches to the individual and society have
changed. In literature, man has become the object of
depiction and expression not only as a thinking
conscious being, but also as a possessor of feelings. The
main concept of literature has become not only the
activity of a person in action, state, and situation, but
also its expression in harmony with the secrets of the
world of emotional feelings. U.Khamdam's novel
"Rebellion and Obedience" is an example of a new
approach to literature. Its heroes are the images of
people who think completely differently, whose way of
thinking is changing. In particular, the leading position
in literature has become the depiction of the image of
a woman in a new real environment with all her unique
nature, beauty, purity, and loyalty.
Creating the image of a woman-mother is considered
an honorable task in all forms of art. The creation of the
image of a mother with all her qualities, the
embodiment of the image of a woman with all her
nature, has become a process in literature. Due to the
change in social relations, the revelation in literature of
amazing changes in the character of women, the
change in the position of husband and wife in the
family, the imbalance of their inner and outer world,
the issues of duty and loyalty are a requirement of
spiritual and moral needs. Woman is the main attribute
that is at the center of the family and society,
constituting its spiritual and educational essence. The
image of a woman-mother defines the spirituality and
moral qualities of an entire nation, people. Uzbek
women stand out from others with their modesty, pure
heart, love for children, modesty, and firmness of faith.
Also,..."the image of a mother belonging to each nation
and people differs to a certain extent in its character,
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
nature, inner and outer world, and even in its portrait.
In fiction, especially in Uzbek novels, in the image of a
woman before independence, the symbols of
endurance, patience, modesty, gentleness, family love,
and purity were reflected. They were the embodiment
of loyalty, purity, and most importantly, motherhood.
In social life, the woman was not only a scientist,
engineer, doctor, but also a builder and machine
operator. It should be especially noted that the painful
social problems in the life of our women have always
been relevant in the literary process.
In this article, the image of a woman is analyzed and
interpreted in terms of character and nature, love and
freedom, freedom and family duty, mother's purity and
loyalty.
The images of Aunt Larisa and Diana in the novel
"Rebellion and Obedience" by the famous Uzbek writer
Ulugbek Hamdam are completely free characters in
matters of loyalty, duty, and obligation. True, they too
become capable of conscious thinking, women who
feel their duty and responsibilities to family and
society, but it's too late. Events related to these women
are described in the process of creating the character
of the main character Akbar. In the novel, the last years
of the life of Larisa khola, a representative of the older
generation, the sorrows of childlessness, the pangs of
loneliness are skillfully depicted by the author with sad
and angry hatred. Diana, a member of the younger
generation, lives next door to Aunt Larisa. In the
composition of the work, the writer deliberately
depicts the older and younger generations as
neighbors, in accordance with his artistic intention.
Because such a placement of compositional elements
opens up opportunities for the writer to think
poetically. Diana is still young, just over twenty years
old, and she's going to be the mistress of a family.
However, he doesn't listen to the advice of his
neighbor, Aunt Larisa, who regrets her youth,
childlessness, and wasted life. That is, the regrettable,
bitter life lessons of the older generation do not
educate the younger generation. Aunt Larisa, too, in
her youth was as beautiful as any young man could
dream of. She is the image of an old woman who, both
in her youth and middle age, could not find the balance
of her life, reconciling the desires of her heart with the
demands of her consciousness. The writer brilliantly
describes an event related to Aunt Larisa's youth in the
author's and character's speech in a retrospective way:
"At that time, Larisa's mood was high. He looked at the
stars. On business trips, he traveled extensively,
traveling back and forth, exploring many regions and
even more cities. During one of such journeys, being on
the road, he attended a nephew's wedding. When the
feast was at its peak, his grandmother advised him:
"Now you should give birth too, look, we're marrying
off a daughter and getting married a son." In response,
Larisa said something that would upset all her relatives
equally: "F-fu, it's not right for me to have children...
Everyone in the world has their own business. People
like me, unable to travel the world and handle big tasks,
give birth while sitting at home. Should I now give birth
like you, not appreciating such status...?"[2:373).
Through this author's characterization and the speech
of the characters, the character of Aunt Larisa in her
youth and her attitude towards life are embodied.
Through these images, the reader generalizes their
ideas about Aunt Larisa and forms their attitude
towards her. In his youth, he couldn't bring himself to
understand the essence of human life. He couldn't
control the desires and aspirations in his mind and
heart. He spent almost his entire life with fleeting
dreams and desires. Aunt Larisa had already managed
to create the cause and consequence of her life and
fate in her youth. Just as any cause has consequences,
a shooting star is inevitably extinguished.
Aunt Diana and Aunt Larisa are lost travelers on a path
without a future. Let's focus on Aunt Larisa's speech to
Diana:
- Thank you, my daughter, thank you... Oh, by the way,
how old are you, my daughter?
"Twenty-six," Diana replied in surprise.
"Forgive your grandfather, I'm getting old, and it seems
I'm losing my mind." But, my daughter, don't be
childless. Give birth when you're young.
- I'm still young, grandma, I think I'll manage.
At this point, Diana repeated Aunt Larisa's youth.
Ultimately, the cause led to the same outcome in both
of their lives. These are typological images. In the novel,
both the logic of their actions and the currents of their
emotions repeat each other. There are many
repetitions in life. However, the reproaches on the path
of human self-awareness, the piercing pains of the
heart, the agonizing moments, the rebellious
wandering of memory and dreams are so diverse that
they cannot be compared. They (Aunt Larisa and Diana)
both chose neither love nor family. Like birds in the sky
of freedom of the soul, they dreamed of eternal flight.
However, they didn't even realize that div and being
were superfluous for eternal flight. Aunt Larisa's bird of
flight had reached its destination, relying on
repentance.
A woman suffers from loneliness, seeking some kind of
healing for her heart's special desires. He believed that
this balm was for obedience to God and prayers for the
souls of his close relatives and friends. He did so and
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
believed. This was the transformation of consciously
perceived necessity into freedom, which had become a
need. It was a mental and emotional synthesis of
understanding human essence.
The writer wisely used the methods of expressing the
motif of loneliness in creating the image of women.
From a universal human perspective, Diana is also
human. Therefore, it is natural that it is not free from
human flaws and virtues. Moreover, the conceptual
approach of modern Uzbek literature to the human
personality corresponds to this. The hero of today's
literature is a collection, a generalization of positive or
negative qualities, a striving to express and depict
himself as he is, a conscious creature searching for
humanity in a world of regret. In the images of Aunt
Larisa and Diana, the writer sees the seasons of a
woman's nature, the unconscious facets. Aunt Larisa
sees her youth in Diana. Diana also sees herself in Aunt
Larisa in her old age.
What is the purpose of living in this mortal world? For
Diana, everything was simple - she just needed to adapt
and get used to it. "She got used to it. Now Diana
realized that most of the people who once looked at
her with hatred, disgust, and even contempt no longer
had the former sharpness in their eyes. Now some of
them had developed a kind of sympathetic attitude,
mixed with curiosity, others with envy, and most men
with passion. Moreover, Diana got used to both hatred
and love. The world is created in such a way that no
matter what you do, those around you either praise
you or curse you. Diana understood this too, and the
more she understood, the more determined she
became...
"Hello, hm... good, good... just don't let it be the last
one." If you happen to be rude again, don't call me.
Diana needs something else besides money. At twelve
o'clock in the evening? Well, there's no delay"[2:304].
Diana, waiting for her ideal prince, gave up hope. He
also wanted to live well, to dress well, to eat and drink
well. And for this, he needed only one thing - money.
Money came in exchange for the market of conscience,
honor, and purity. Bargaining with them at the market
wasn't easy; finally, he got used to it. He even found
buyers. The image of Diana is not the embodiment of a
rude, loud, unscrupulous woman. He never hurt
anyone's feelings. The phrase "Diana needs other
things besides money" in the above-mentioned speech
indicates that the feelings of faith and conscience are
still awake in the depths of a woman's heart. Diana is
the image of an immoral woman who does not
understand the divinity of love, the transformation of
love into family, family into loyalty and duty, or even if
she does, she consciously turns it into the source and
object of life. In Diana, love did not make family a
necessity. He didn't spend much time searching for
peace and happiness. He turned his heart to the
marketplace. Aren't such women rare in real life?
However, the writer does not express antipathy
towards Diana at any point in the novel. On the
contrary, it gives the reader the gift of free conclusion.
Diana has lost the balance of freedom and duty. She is
a woman who does not recognize the gradual growth
of the spiritual and moral stages of human life.
Freedom and duty are like two sides of a scale. It's not
easy to balance them. This is the main idea of the novel.
A person's self-awareness, their freedom - keeps them
in balance.
Loneliness is a multifaceted concept. The causes of its
occurrence, forms of manifestation, internal and
external factors are different. Therefore, in philosophy
- it is studied as a concept, in psychology - as a mental
state, in medicine - as a disease, in religious studies - as
a means of achieving perfection and God. So, it can be
said that loneliness is a form of human perception of
the world and self-awareness. Aunt Larisa is ninety
years old and lives alone.
A person without God in their heart, without faith,
without belief is considered truly lonely. Although she
remembered Allah at the end of her life, she was truly
alone. Loneliness was his destiny. Now he didn't want
to live, he had no hope for anything. The woman
committed suicide. He jumped from the fourth floor
and died. This was the end of the path she had chosen
in her youth, the end of her life, called fate.
"On the night Akbar left, Diana, for some reason, first
saw Aunt Larisa in her dream... Strange..."[2:402].
From this author's speech, it is clear that Diana did not
see Aunt Larisa in her dream for nothing. Through this
dream, the writer seems to connect Diana's life with
Aunt Larisa's fate. In the depiction of both women, the
writer pays special attention to the psychological
analysis of loneliness. Moreover, the expressions and
descriptions
of
suffering,
experiences,
and
consequences perfectly match the depictions of a
lonely woman's nature. Hegel views loneliness as a
negative phenomenon, considers it a "social illness,"
and says that its root lies not in the person himself, but
in the system [3:96]. T. Thoreau considers solitude not
a social phenomenon, but a purely aesthetic one
[4:152]. According to the philosopher J.P. Sartre,
everyone encounters loneliness, it is an insoluble
problem [5:52].
We cannot say that the accident involving Aunt Larisa
(if one can say so) will not happen in Diana's life either.
Because they are the embodiment of women with a
similar typological character. Diana quit prostitution,
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
became a manager by education, earned honestly, and
lived well. His beloved Akbar is to blame for everything.
Thanks to him, he returned to life. When Akbar
returned to his family, Diana was left alone again.
Therefore, it is possible that Aunt Larisa's fate will
repeat itself. However, the writer does not draw
conclusions about Diana's fate.
In the work, there is also a female character, such as
Farida (the wife of the main character Akbar) and the
wife of Tursunboy Jontalash - they are in a position
opposite to the characters of Larisa, Diana in the novel.
However, there is no open conflict between women in
the plot of the novel. These are typologically two polar
women. Farida sees the love given by Allah as a whole
with her family and children. She did not abandon her
family duty and devotion for the sake of her mother's
image, her husband's dreams, and his strange
dervishes. She didn't leave the house where she
became a bride, her village, or her work, following her
husband's footsteps to the big city. Family, loyalty, and
a sense of duty prevailed. She considered maternal
duty more obligatory than duties to her husband.
Because the husband (Akbar) went to the city in search
of his identity and humanity. ..." Farida thought about
Akbar with a heavy heart: "He's just like Nasirjon, even
more dreamy than him. Have they cooked it for a
married person with children in foreign lands? He was
supposedly searching for the meaning of humanity.
After all, isn't that cursed meaning in raising your two
children and bringing them up among the people?..."
No matter how much he reproached Akbar, Feride still
missed him terribly. His excitement choked him, and he
hastily dialed the phone number. However, Akbar was
probably not home, so he didn't answer the phone. And
Feride burst into bitter tears..." [5:355].
In this inner monologue and author's speech, Farida's
emotional state, experiences, perceptions of her
husband, and the woman's maternal feelings are
described with passion. The phrases "He is searching
for the meaning of humanity," "Isn't it about raising
two children and bringing them into society?" are
spoken by a woman, which means that she is a pure-
hearted mother who is loyal to her family and caring for
her children. Along with being a mother, she also wants
to be a beloved spouse. Though her heart is drawn to
both poles by maternal love and longing for her
beloved, she doesn't fall into depression. As mentioned
above, the trio of Farida - Akbar - Diana is at the center
of events related to women. In the image of Farida, a
faithful woman, a loyal mother, embodies the image
characteristic of the mentality of an Uzbek woman. It
has both national and individual characteristics. Diana
is an image of an unlucky woman, both in love and in
marriage. In his consciousness and spiritual-moral
activity, loyalty and respect for any human values were
not reflected. This woman is Farida's opposite.
However, Akbar's warm attitude towards Diana, his
love, leads Diana towards a faithful, modest woman. In
the novel, in the triad of Farida - Akbar - Diana, Farida
is a faithful mother, Diana is a beloved. However,
throughout the course of events, Farida becomes both
a mother and a beloved woman. The writer couldn't
have ended the events related to Farida differently.
Farideh possessed the qualities that few women,
regardless of their nationality or beliefs, would calmly
accept. As a woman or beloved spouse, she did not
prioritize her desires over family obligations,
obligations towards children, or the principles of our
Sharia. Akbar lived far from his family and rarely visited
his village. There was no warmth in their conversations
either. There is no longing or jealousy. They greet each
other like people who have taken on obligations. Farida
is not to blame for the lack of warmth in the
conversations. Farida is in the bridal home, in the arms
of her children. Farida was caught between two fires,
her work on one side, her family on the other, her
husband on the other. Her refusal to go to the city,
using her work and children as an excuse, testifies to
the triumph of maternal devotion. A woman loves her
husband. She even married Akbar herself out of spite.
Farida was a woman in div, a mother in soul. As can
be seen from the speech, she didn't say anything more
annoying to her husband than "You've lost your
temper, hope you're well?" With this, Farida fulfilled
"three rights at once" - Sharia, motherhood, and
feminine rights. She is not as jealous, resentful, and
cunning as most women. He is a true realist. He was
devoted to his profession. A thoughtful, vigilant
woman. Farida cannot imagine her fate as a mother
without her children. Moreover, Farida is a socially
active, spiritual, and socio-politically conscious person.
Regarding the image of women in the novel, it can be
concluded that, firstly, there was no child in their lives
who would unite the parents - and this did not turn the
requirement of family and civic duty into a need. In the
novel, human freedom is not only a legal and spiritual-
moral problem, but also an ideological and artistic one.
This flaw in women's nature is erosion that destroys the
nature of a delicate creature.
Secondly, in Ulugbek Hamdam's novel "Rebellion and
Obedience," the images of women are interpreted
complexly, multifacetedly, and realistically. In the work,
women appear in a contradictory way between the
social system, customs, and the desire for freedom.
They are not limited to traditional family roles, but are
revived by their aspirations, inner rebellion, and
obedience.
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
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International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
Thirdly, among the characters of the work, there are
both women faithful to traditional values and
independent characters who fight against the demands
of conditions and the blows of fate. The author, along
with a subtle depiction of the female psyche, deeply
illuminates their experiences, sufferings, and inner
world. Thus, the novel reflects not only the
contradiction between personal freedom and
obedience, but also the changes in the position of
women in society.
In short, the immortality, highness, and value of the
artistic product created by the writer are determined
by the skillful depiction of each character in the work
from the point of view of artistic skill. It can be
confidently said that the image of women, which
occupies the main place in this novel, is also of
particular importance due to the fact that it is formed
from the synthesis of the creator's views characteristic
of Eastern and Western traditions, and is woven in a
social and realistic spirit based on the principles of
nationality and humanity. Observing the fate of
different women, depicted in the novel in different
images, one can see that the author artistically
reflected certain ideological and spiritual problems and
their unique solutions. In particular, the upheavals in
women's psyche, ignorance and violence, depression,
and the end of meaningless life are among them. Also,
a number of problems, such as the submission of
rebellion after the spiritual revolution, the fact that
character and psyche are dynamic phenomena, that is,
the change of human character and nature, and
therefore, the possibility of rebuilding social relations
in society, are aimed at illuminating in the work
through the image of women. Thus, in the novel
"Rebellion and Obedience," the images of women not
only play an important role in the development of the
plot, but also encompass such important issues as
human freedom, love and loyalty, self-awareness,
expressing the main ideological content of the work.
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