TRAPPED IN MYSTERY: FATE, OBSESSION AND THE MYSTICAL IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK CHILDREN'S FICTION

This article explores the representation of fate, obsession and mystical or fantastic elements in Susan Hill's I'm the King of the Castle and Khudoyberdi Tokhtaboyev's Riding the Yellow Giant (Sariq devni minib). Through a comparative analysis, it examines how the two authors portray childhood vulnerability and the influence of external forces on young protagonists. While Hill focuses on Kingshaw's psychological suffering, isolation and tragic fate, Tokhtaboyev presents Hoshimjon's encounters with the fantastic as part of his adventurous journey towards self-discovery. The article highlights the differences between Gothic-psychological and folkloric-fantastic traditions in representing childhood experiences.