THE ARCHETYPE OF THE “MADMAN/FOOL” IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL REALITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE WORKS OF H. DUSTMUHAMMAD AND E. VODOLAZKIN’S NOVEL “LAURUS”

Abstract

This article examines the archetype of the “madman/fool” (yurodivy/holy fool) as a lens for critiquing social reality in the works of Uzbek writer Khurshid Dustmuhammad and Russian author Evgeny Vodolazkin. Through a comparative analysis of Dustmuhammad’s novel Bozor (“The Bazaar”) and Vodolazkin’s Laurus (2012), the study reveals how the fool figure functions as a truth-teller who exposes the absurdity of societal norms, materialism, and historical determinism. Drawing on archetypal criticism, cultural anthropology, and literary comparativistics, the research demonstrates both universal and culture-specific manifestations of this archetype. The findings highlight its enduring relevance in contemporary literature as a tool for spiritual and social resistance.