PSYCHOLOGICAL REALISM AND THE PROBLEM OF MORAL IDENTITY IN ULMAS UMARBEKOV'S NOVEL "IT IS HARD TO BECOME A HUMAN"

Abstract: This article explores the artistic representation of psychological realism, moral identity, and youth socialization in 20th-century Uzbek literature through Ulmas Umarbekov's seminal novel It Is Hard to Become a Human (Odam bo‘lish qiyin). Utilizing a socio-cultural, system-structural, and psycholinguistic textological approach, the study evaluates the character trajectories of Abdulla and Gulchehra, highlighting the destructive nature of moral compromise and societal pressure. The qualitative analysis investigates how Umarbekov institutionalizes the traditional Uzbek ethical code within a rapidly modernizing prose structure. The paper demonstrates that the novel serves as an active literary scaffolding mechanism that enhances critical thinking, empathy, and ethical self-reflection among higher education students.