Artistic Transformation of the Female Image in Kazakh Literature

Abstract

The article is devoted to the artistic image of women in Kazakh literature. It analyzes individual art works of folklore and written literature, particularly in the genres of poetry, prose, and drama. The historical and comparative method was used. It reviews the embodiment of girls’ and mothers’ image in Kazakh literature of the 20th – 21st centuries including the lyrico-epic works of oral literature. The literature of the early twentieth century contains many thematic poems on women's equality, and a number of examples of the literature of that time are given. Reviewing the main literary works of different eras, special attention is paid to the writers’ descriptions of special features of Kazakh girls, their mentality, national character traits, and behavioral pattern. A comparative analysis of works was carried out. There have been major changes in Kazakh society, with transitions from a traditional culture that combined indigenous with Muslim elements to the Soviet era and the present post-Soviet society. The research shows how these transitions have transformed the image of women in Kazakh literature, as a reflection of changes in ruling ideologies and women’s roles in society.