REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER PSYCHOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY DETECTIVE FICTION

This article examines how gender psychology is represented in modern detective fiction, comparing American and Uzbek narratives. Analyzed texts include American novels by Gillian Flynn, Sara Paretsky, Patricia Cornwell, and Don Winslow, and Uzbek works by Tohir Malik, Komil Sindarov, and Ulug‘bek Hamdam. Using qualitative narrative analysis and feminist/cognitive lenses, we analyze protagonists’ inner monologues, unreliable narration, trauma, and moral choices. Results show U.S. detectives often portray women as rational, autonomous agents with professional authority, whereas Uzbek detectives depict women through emotional, family-oriented, and moral frameworks. Narratively, American stories emphasize individualism and logic, while Uzbek stories stress collectivist values and intuition. This comparative study highlights convergences (shared psychological depth) and divergences (cultural gender norms).