THE MOTIVE OF BETRAYAL IN NAZAR ESHANKUL'S STORY "PEOPLE OF WAR"

INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 1 THE MOTIVE OF BETRAYAL IN NAZAR ESHANKUL'S STORY "PEOPLE OF WAR" Ne’matullayeva Soxibaxon Andijan State Medical Institute Department of Uzbek Language and Literature, Languages Teacher [email protected] Annotattion: This article examines the psychological interpretation of the motif of betrayal in Nazar Eshonqul’s short story “War People” within the context of modern Uzbek prose. The study aims to reveal how the motif of betrayal is transformed from a moral transgression into a complex psychological and social phenomenon shaped by wartime conditions. Using qualitative literary analysis, including motif analysis and psychological interpretation, the article explores the inner conflict of the female protagonist who, believing her husband to have died in the war, enters into a relationship with another man. The findings demonstrate that betrayal in the narrative functions not as an act of ethical decay but as a tragic consequence of loneliness, emotional vulnerability, and existential pressure caused by war. The article contributes to contemporary literary studies by highlighting the humanistic and psychological depth of betrayal as a narrative motif in modern Uzbek literature. INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 2 Key words: betrayal motif; war narrative; psychological interpretation; modern Uzbek prose; Nazar Eshonqul; literary motif analysis. Introduction: Nazar Eshonkul’s story “People of War” describes the severe consequences of war on family and human relationships. The article aims to shed light on the motif of betrayal in the context of war, through changes in the lives and psyches of the characters. The list of betrayals in the story is presented as a result of the socioeconomic pressure of war, on the one hand, and personal irresponsibility and weakness of faith, on the other. The following sections consider the methodology of analysis, findings, and how this motif is connected with the general ideological direction of the story. Methods: Text analysis: episodes of betrayal are identified based on the content and plot of the story, main events and dialogues. Using sources of literary research: facts are presented from scientific and popular reviews, analyses, and articles about the story on the socio-moral connection of betrayal and war. Conceptual interpretation: how the motive of betrayal serves the psychological and social effects of war, and its connection with the transformation of the characters is discussed. The text of the story and analytical articles about it (from the indicated sources) are worked out together to determine the structural and semantic function of the motive of betrayal. Results: INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 3 Specific episode of betrayal in the plot and its reasons: The motive of betrayal in the story becomes one of the central events: after the main character Normat returns from the war, his wife Anzirat is forcibly betrayed by Mirzakul in response to his requests for help and support during the war. This event appears in the story as the most dramatic turning point that shows the consequences of the war. One of the popular articles fully describes this situation, describing how Anzirat, in the conditions of poverty and deprivation during the war, was forcibly betrayed by Mirzakul, and then committed a terrible crime by shooting Normat's wife and Mirzakul, which ultimately led to his suicide. This article also highlights the murder and family breakdown caused by betrayal, and the loss of innocent children without parents, all of which are shown as the central tragedy of the story. The reasons for the betrayal can be revealed step by step in the story: The impact of the war: The long loss of Normat, his serious injuries, and the difficult living conditions in the village aggravate Anzirat's psychological state. Social and economic difficulties: Hunger, poverty, and the obligation to support two children throughout her life in the village due to the war make a woman defenseless. Sacrifice and lack of social support are shown as factors leading to betrayal. Personal weakness and social moderation: The role of Mirzakul in helping shows that the betrayal occurred due to his role as a helper, his social position as the village leader, and the woman's need for help contributed to the betrayal. 2) The role of the betrayal motif in the character dynamics of the characters INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 4 In the story, the main character Normat's spiritual nature changes dramatically after the war: first he becomes depressed, then he awakens a desire to return to life. However, the revelation of Anzirat's betrayal deepens the wound in his soul. After the betrayal, Normat's response: beating his wife in public, attempting to kill her, and then going crazy - this shows his mental trauma, loss of self-confidence and former nobility. This process describes the motive of betrayal as a cascading effect of psychological destruction caused by war. 3) The opening of an idea against war through the motive of betrayal One of the scientific analysis articles notes that the social vices that arise as a result of war: such noble concepts as ignorance, betrayal, and deceit arise precisely because of war. Therefore, the motive of betrayal is used in this story not only as a personal tragedy, but also as a symbol of the corruption of war in society and morality. In the story, war, peace, and betrayal are interconnected, teaching the value of peace for humanity, and betrayal is depicted as a disaster that occurs in conditions where peace is limited or absent. 4) Dramatic construction of the motive of betrayal The story presents the episode of betrayal with sharp dramatic force: at the beginning, the return of Normat, the complexity of the main character's psyche after returning home, then the revelation of the betrayal, reaching his attempted execution and death - each of these stages sharply strengthens the motive of betrayal. The story does not end with the consequences after the betrayal: other events (the lives of the remaining characters, the orphaning of two children, more INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 5 sacrifices). Betrayal is a major dramatic point in the story, and other events show the continuing pain of the state of the village and society. Discussion: A) Xiyonat motivining adabiy ahamiyati A) The literary significance of the motive of betrayal The motive is the means that sets any work in motion. “Motive (lat. moveo - I move) is a term adopted from musicology, and in literary works, the motive is realized in a number of forms, such as a plot scheme, an object, a situation, an image. One of the important aspects of the motive is its stability,” writes the literary critic D. Kuronov in his book “Theory of Literary Studies”. In fact, the motive is an element that retains certain unchanging aspects and repeats the main elements over several periods. The environment and social structure of the characters: The betrayal between Anzirat and Mirzakul is not just a situation between individuals; it is directly related to the problems in the social structure of the village between the weak and the strong, the one who asks for help and the one who gives it. At the end of the story, even before the war, in conditions of semi-peace, the crime of betrayal leads to a major tragedy. This, in general, can be expressed as an expression in the story of the idea of protecting peace and humanity, which helps to explain the war. The people of war, with their own uniqueness, connect the episode of betrayal with the social conditions of the war and the village, realistically showing the changes that arise from each other. This article analyzed the motive of betrayal only through the story and two sources related to it. In the future, a more in-depth semantic analysis of the motive INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 6 can be achieved through the full version of the written text and other scientific articles, personal interviews, and dramatic interpretations on stage. More extensive research analyzing betrayal from a psychological and sociological perspective could shed light on the role of the betrayal motif in war literature and the extent to which it matches parallels in folk folklore. Conclusion In Nazar Eshonkul's story “People of War”, the motive of betrayal most sharply and dramatically reveals the personal and social consequences of war. The social deprivation, economic hardship, and psychological pressures associated with the war lead the woman Anzirat to betrayal, and then Normat falls into a web of internal crises and tragedies. In conclusion, it can be said that the motive of betrayal is the main episode for the plot twist in the story, a vital turning point in the dynamics of the hero's character, a symbol that serves the idea of condemning war and valuing peace. Through this motive, the writer shows the traces of war in human nature and society, and warns about peace and harmony. Adabiyotlar roʻyxati !. Eshonkul, N. People of War. – Tashkent: Gafur Ghulom Publishing House, 2000. 2. Kuronov, D. Introduction to Literary Studies. – Tashkent: Akademnashr, 2015. 3. Karimov, N. Poetics of Modern Uzbek Prose. – Tashkent: Fan, 2018. 4. Yuldoshev, Q. Fundamentals of Artistic Analysis. – Tashkent: Oqittu, 2016. INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF MODERN KNOWLEDGE AND REVIEW ISSN-L8776-0932 E-ISSN 8776-0932 IF(Impact Factor)12.57 Issue:13 Volume:13 December-2025 http://bibjournals.is-great.net/ 7 5. Silantyev, I. Poetics of Motives. – Moscow: Nauka, 2004. 6. Kun.uz. There are no winners in war - reader "People of War" www.ziyouz.com