Lessons 17 · 1 lessons · B. To‘xliyev, B. Karimov, K. Usmonova. Literature: textbook-collection for Grade 11 of secondary schools and for students of secondary specialised and vocational institutions, Parts 1–2. 1st edition. “O‘zbekiston milliy ensiklopediyasi” State Scientific Publishing House, Tashkent, 2018
17
About “Qisasi Rabg‘uziy”
Textbook: Part 1, pp. 106–112
GoalAnalyse the themes, structure and artistic features of “Qisasi Rabg‘uziy.”
New words
long tale (here: a tale about a prophet) · qissashort tale inside a qissa · hikoyatplot · sujetmythological notion · mifologik tasavvur
Explanation
“Qisasi Rabg‘uziy” is one of the oldest examples of Uzbek prose; it consists of 72 tales and was widely read among Turkic peoples. Although the tales are about prophets, the textbook regards them as a means of expressing Rabghuzi’s views on the world and man in artistic form; the events rest on religious sources, historical works and folk oral art, but the author reworked them with his own thinking. The themes are varied: relations between parents and children, love and loyalty, patriotism, freedom and justice, friendship, war and peace. Inside a tale an independent hikoyat, legend or poem often appears; a hikoyat consists of a single episode and explains a character or event. The simple, concise and moving language and the first wide use of dialogue in Uzbek prose are why the work has been read for centuries.
Worked examples
Example: In the tale about David a hikoyat brings out the idea of honest labour: he seeks to live by his own craft and not to burden others.
Example: “Solomon’s conversation with the ant” is built entirely on questions and answers, so it is the best sample for showing the role of dialogue.
Class activity
Table: for the four tales fill in the columns “characters – setting – main idea – signs of oral art.”
Practice
1
How many tales does “Qisasi Rabg‘uziy” contain and what are they about?
72 tales; about prophets, but they express the author’s views on the world and man.
2
State the difference between a qissa and a hikoyat.
A qissa is large in volume and scope of events; a hikoyat is compact, with one episode, and explains the qissa from within.
3
Why is Satan considered the main character in the “Tale of the grape”?
Because the events develop around his stealing of the grape seed and his watering condition.
4
On what factors do the simplicity and impact of Rabghuzi’s prose depend?
Dialogue, short and exact sentences, and features borrowed from oral art, including anecdote techniques.