THE POETICS OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL CHARACTERS IN UZBEK PROSE

Abstract

This paper examines the depiction of human and animal characters in Uzbek prose, with a particular focus on the portrayal of cyborg images in novels. By conducting a comparative literary analysis that includes examples from world literature, the study identifies commonalities and differences in how authors represent the boundaries between humans, animals, and machines. The methodology integrates close reading of Uzbek literary works alongside foreign texts, underpinned by posthumanist theoretical perspectives (notably Donna Haraway’s cyborg concept). The findings suggest that Uzbek prose traditionally uses animal characters as carriers of moral and ecological themes, whereas the emergence of cyborg characters reflects a new exploration of the limits of humanity in a technologized context.