HEROISM AND IDEALIZATION: AMERICAN AND UZBEK PERSPECTIVES
Abstract
This article undertakes a broad comparative analysis of the idealized representation of Native Americans in American literature and the heroic images of Spitamen, Shiroq, and Tomyris in Uzbek literature. Drawing on postcolonial theory, myth criticism, and cultural memory studies, the research explores how literature constructs symbolic figures to negotiate historical trauma, imperial encounters, and national identity. American literary portrayals frequently romanticize Native Americans as morally pure yet historically doomed figures, while Uzbek literature presents its heroes as active agents of resistance and continuity. By examining narrative strategies, ideological functions, and cultural contexts, this study demonstrates that idealization operates as a powerful literary mechanism for shaping collective memory and legitimizing cultural values.
Keywords
Idealization, Native American image, Uzbek heroic tradition, Spitamen, Shiroq, Tomyris, resistance literature, national identity, myth-making
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