Artistic Interpretation of Social Issues in the Short Stories of

The stories of N. Eshonqul feature a profound artistic interpretation of social issues. In particular, the author’s stories "The Hand" (Qo‘l) and "The Lament of the Flute" (Sibizg‘a volasi) are among the finest works on this theme. "The Lament of the Flute" is written in the style of pastiche (stylization) and is based on the legends of Alexander the Great (Iskandar Zulqarnayn). Although the plot development in the story seemingly mirrors the folklore epics about Alexander and the barber, this stylized work is not actually about the historical Alexander; rather, it refers to the tyrants of the past century. Since Stalin’s cruelty equaled, if not surpassed, that of Alexander, the writer chooses Alexander as a symbolic figure to reveal the characteristics of such a dictator.