Chronotope and the Representation of Artistic Time in the Historical Novel

Abstract

The article examines the specific features of the representation of the category of artistic time in Kazakh historical prose. The study focuses on the historical novels Daraboz by K. Zhumadilov, Yesengeldy Bi by Zh. Akhmadi, and Kazakh Khan Abylai by D. Kanbakov, with particular attention to the functional role of time within the chronotopic structure of these works. The study analyzes the relationship between historical time and artistic time, as well as the artistic representation of historical dates, the traditional Kazakh system of chronology, seasons, and natural-cyclical time. In addition, the manifestations of physical, conceptual, perceptual, and event time within the literary text are identified. The relationship between historical fact and artistic fiction, as well as between authorial time and historical reality, is also examined. The research demonstrates that the precise indication of historical dates not only reflects the writer’s responsibility toward historical facts but also enhances the historical, cognitive, and aesthetic value of the literary work. The study further identifies the role of artistic time in organizing the composition of the work, revealing the dynamics of historical events, and correlating the destinies of the characters with historical space. Consequently, the category of time in the historical novel is regarded as an important structural and semantic mechanism for the artistic interpretation of historical reality.