THE PEOPLE AND THE MOTHERLAND IN G’AFUR G’ULOM’S WORK

Abstract

This article examines the literary heritage of G‘afur G‘ulom, one of the most influential representatives of twentieth-century Uzbek literature and an Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, with particular emphasis on the artistic interpretation of the concepts of the people and the Motherland in his poetry and prose [1]. The study explores how G‘ulom’s creative worldview was shaped by the complex historical conditions of the early Soviet period, rapid industrialization, the Second World War, and postwar reconstruction, and how these experiences influenced his humanistic and national perspectives. Using literary-historical analysis, textual interpretation, and comparative methods, the article analyzes key works such as the philosophical poem Vaqt (“Time”), the wartime poem Sen yetim emassan (“You Are Not an Orphan”), and the novella Shum bola (“The Mischievous Boy”) as representative texts that embody national consciousness, moral responsibility, and collective memory. Special attention is given to G‘ulom’s concept of time as a moral and national category, his portrayal of the Motherland as a space of compassion, solidarity, and cultural continuity, and his ability to harmonize individual experience with the collective historical destiny of the Uzbek people. The findings demonstrate that G‘ulom’s works function as a “literary chronicle” of the nation, preserving traditional values while responding creatively to the challenges of modernity and social transformation. The article concludes that G‘afur G‘ulom’s creative legacy holds enduring artistic, pedagogical, and cultural significance, contributing to the formation of national identity and the promotion of universal humanistic ideals within both Uzbek and world literature.