Abstract
<jats:p>The article discusses the problem of national character in the context of artistic and aesthetic categories based on the works of the writer Esbolat Aydabosyn “itayag of the outside” and “Ūlyma”. In the course of the study, an attempt is made to recognize the creative nature of the author through his works in the genre of stories, and the literary text is analyzed within the framework of new scientific knowledge. Since the relation-ship between conflict and national identity in the work of E. Aydabosyn has not been an object of comprehensive research before, this article is aimed at considering this problem from a new angle. In the short story “Syrtannyn itayaǵy,” the author explores themes such as tradition and respect, folk beliefs and hope, personal virtue and natural law, and family values. The study contrasts the characters’ understanding and conflicting views within the framework of national consciousness. The reverence of elders toward notions of “кие” (sacred power) and “qasıyet” (spiritual virtue) is juxtaposed with the younger generation’s disregard for them. The gradual erosion of faith in ancestral traditions, the decline of compassion, empathy, care, and humility, as well as the growing tendency to judge superficially rather than to comprehend the inner essence of human ac-tions — all reflect the alienation of individuals from their national identity and their absorption into globaliza- tion. In “Ūlyma” his decision to leave his homeland for good in response to the cruelty and greed of others symbolizes the fading of noble traditions and the loss of artistic spirit from the people’s very essence — a conclusion further substantiated in the article. The research employs systematic, historical-comparative, and interpretive methods, drawing on the theoretical perspectives of scholars such as Z.Qabdollov, S. Maqpyrov, and A.V. Ognev. The analysis reveals the writer’s distinctive approach to expressing national consciousness through artistic means and formulates conclusions regarding the role and significance of the concepts of “na- tional identity” and “national character” within the broader structure of his creative oeuvre.</jats:p>