The short story “The Ancient Song” by Zulfiya Qurolboy qizi in the context of magical realism

The article is set to discover the key artistic methods and techniques of magical realism in “The Ancient Song”, a short story written by the modern Uzbek writer Zulfiya Qurolboy qizi. The study aims to identify the main ways in which magical realism functions in “The Ancient Song”. The article discusses dominant themes and implicit messages of the story; sheds light upon its spatial and temporal structure; examines the role of mythology and folklore and explores the narrative strategy. The academic novelty of the research is connected with the fact that it focuses on the little-studied issue of magical realism in contemporary Uzbek literature. The results of the study are the following ones: as a work of magical realism, “The Ancient Song” interweaves realistic elements with fantasies, combines tangible details of daily life with universal archetypal images, uses such a form of chronotope that produces the effect of “augmented reality” and employs a specific narrative strategy.