THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN CRIME AND INVESTIGATION DISCOURSE: AN ENGLISH–UZBEK COMPARATIVE VIEW

Abstract:

This article presents a comparative discourse-oriented analysis of the portrayal of women in English and Uzbek crime and investigation narratives. The study examines how female characters are constructed through narrative roles, communicative behavior, and ideological functions within detective discourse. The material is based on selected English and Uzbek detective texts representing different cultural traditions. The research reveals that English crime discourse predominantly constructs female images through rational agency, institutional participation, and pragmatic restraint, whereas Uzbek discourse foregrounds emotional dominance, moral authority, and collective social responsibility. Despite these differences, universal narrative functions of women as victims, witnesses, and ethical catalysts are preserved across both traditions. The findings contribute to gender linguistics, comparative discourse studies, and literary stylistics.