POETICS OF SATIRE IN THE SHORT STORIES OF O. HENRY AND GAFUR GULOM

This study examines the poetics of satire in the short stories of O. Henry and Gafur Gulom through a comparative literary framework. Satire, as a complex aesthetic and ideological mode, functions as a powerful instrument of social criticism across diverse cultural traditions. While previous scholarship has explored satire in American and Uzbek literature separately, limited attention has been given to the structural and poetic mechanisms underlying satirical expression in a cross-cultural perspective. The research employs a qualitative comparative methodology, integrating textual analysis, structural examination, and stylistic interpretation of selected short stories by both authors. The study focuses on identifying core satirical devices such as irony, exaggeration, narrative contrast, and character typology, as well as examining their organization within distinct cultural contexts.The findings demonstrate that irony operates as the central mechanism of satire in both writers. O. Henry predominantly constructs satire through situational irony and narrative reversal, particularly via the twist ending, which reshapes moral interpretation. In contrast, Gafur Gulom employs dialogic humor, explicit social irony, and culturally embedded linguistic features to critique bureaucratic absurdities and moral contradictions. Despite differences in narrative emphasis and tonal execution, both authors share foundational satirical strategies. The research concludes that satirical poetics are culturally adaptive structures: while their fundamental devices remain universal, their structural realization reflects national literary traditions and socio-historical contexts. The study contributes to comparative literary scholarship by deepening understanding of cross-cultural satirical aesthetics.