The Image of a Woman: A Comparative Analysis of the Novels by Myrzhakyp Dulatov “Unhappy Jamal” and Takeo Arishima “A Certain Woman”

Abstract

This article presents a comparative analysis of the main female characters in the novels “Unhappy Jamal”by Myrzhakyp Dulatov and “A Certain Woman” by Takeo Arishima, with the aim of identifying typological similarities and differences. Special attention is given to the historical, social, and cultural contexts in which the analyzed works were created. In addition, emphasis is placed on the journalistic activities of the novelists, which reflect their worldview and creative stance, allowing for a deeper understanding of the authors’ intentions and a more nuanced interpretation of the main heroines. The aim of the study is to identify the common and distinctive features of the novels “Unhappy Jamal” by M. Dulatov and “A Certain Woman” by
T. Arishima through the lens of their main female characters. To achieve this goal, the research examines the characteristics of the cultural and historical context, reveals similarities and differences in the authors’ views and socio-ethical perspectives, determines the extent to which social modernization and European literature influenced their work, and explores typological parallels and divergences in the treatment of the theme of women. The research methods include comparative, cultural-historical, and historical-functional approaches, as well as contextual analysis, along with semantic, interpretative, and gender-based methods. These approaches make it possible to analyze the functioning of literature within a specific historical period and to uncover the semantics of the main female characters in the novels under study. The relevance of this study lies in the importance of examining literary connections between national literatures and identifying both the common and the unique elements in their historical development. The article broadens the understanding of the patterns through which the sociocultural context influences the evolution of literary genres, themes, and issues in the works of writers who operated in different countries but under similar cultural and historical conditions. The scientific novelty of this article lies in its comparative analysis of the works of two authors who stood at the origins of the emergence of new national literatures during a period of radical social transformation, cultural paradigm shifts, and changes in national identity. The application of new trends in modern comparative literary studies has made it possible to reveal new facets of the analyzed novels. The results of the study demonstrate the productivity of comparative analysis not only in identifying typological parallels, but also in more clearly highlighting the uniqueness of both novels, the specific features of the literary processes in Japan and Kazakhstan, and the ongoing modernization of society at the beginning of the twentieth century. The findings of this article may serve as a foundation for further research into literary interrelations within the framework of comparative studies.