THE CHRONOTOPE OF VIRTUAL REALITY IN UZBEK AND WESTERN PROSE: COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DIMENSIONS

The concept of chronotope, introduced into literary theory by Mikhail Bakhtin, provides an effective methodological framework for examining the interaction of spatial and temporal dimensions in narrative discourse. In contemporary literary studies, the development of digital culture and virtual environments has expanded the traditional understanding of literary space and time. This thesis examines the chronotope of virtual reality in Uzbek and Western prose from a comparative perspective, focusing on the transformation of spatial organization, temporal experience, narrative immersion, and the relationship between physical and imagined environments. The study combines Bakhtinian chronotope theory with approaches to narrative temporality, digital poetics, electronic literature, and virtual narrative experience. Western prose and digital narrative practices demonstrate an increasing tendency toward fragmented, multidimensional, interactive, and non-linear spatial-temporal structures. Uzbek prose, while historically grounded in culturally specific concepts of place, memory, community, and historical time, increasingly encounters digital forms of narration and new modes of spatial representation. The comparative analysis indicates that virtuality does not eliminate the traditional chronotope but transforms its mechanisms: physical space may become simulated space, chronological sequence may become nonlinear, and the reader may assume a more active role in constructing narrative space-time. The thesis argues that the virtual chronotope represents a significant development in contemporary narratology while retaining important connections with traditional literary models.