CHILDHOOD MEMORY AS A LITERARY DEVICE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DICKENS’S DAVID COPPERFIELD AND G‘AFUR G‘ULOM’S SHUM BOLA

Abstract

This thesis explores childhood memory as a literary device through a comparative analysis of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield and G‘afur G‘ulom’s Shum Bola. Childhood memory is examined as a significant narrative tool that contributes to character development, moral formation, and the construction of cultural identity. The study analyzes how both authors employ recollections of childhood to depict social environment, emotional experience, and psychological growth. While Dickens portrays childhood memory as a source of suffering, moral reflection, and inner conflict within the context of Victorian society, G‘afur G‘ulom presents it through humor, vitality, and social realism rooted in Uzbek cultural traditions. The research identifies both universal and culture-specific features in the literary representation of childhood memory and confirms its essential role in characterization and meaning-making