Appraisal and Semiotics of Motherhood: A Comparative Study of English and Uzbek Literary Discourse

Authors

  • Fotima Karimova

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Dildor Otajonova

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Kudratbek Makhmudov

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Feruza Djabbarova

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Maktuba Khonsaidova

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Guzal Makhamatkhujaeva

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Nodira Baltaeva

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Ruzikhon Usmonova

    Department of Foreign Languages, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Said-Fozilkhon Akmalkhonov

    Department of English Language Theory and Practice, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan
  • Zera Shabidinova

    Department of German Language, Chirchik State Pedagogical University, Chirchik 111700, Uzbekistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11816
Received: 26 August 2025 | Revised: 13 October 2025 | Accepted: 14 October 2025 | Published Online: 27 October 2025

Abstract

This paper examines the evaluative-expressive features of communicative signs in two short stories from distinct linguistic and cultural backgrounds: Chevara (Great-grandchild) by Said Ahmad (Uzbek) and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen (American). Grounded in Appraisal Theory, the study classifies and interprets evaluative and affective expressions in maternal discourse. Lexical analysis highlights emotionally charged vocabulary, while semiotic analysis decodes symbolic signs within the narratives. These approaches enable a multi-layered understanding of how motherhood is communicated in the two cultures. Although the texts were written in different sociopolitical contexts, the Uzbek Soviet era and the American postwar period, both focus on female caregivers reflecting on their children's upbringing under difficult circumstances. Moving beyond traditional grammatical or syntactic emphasis, this study reveals the affective, social, and cultural functions of language through expressive verbal and nonverbal signs in key episodes. The analysis demonstrates culture-specific emotional and interactional styles and contributes to cross-cultural understanding with practical applications in translation, diplomacy, and language education. The study introduces an integrated evaluative model that triangulates appraisal, lexical, and semiotic resources, extending Appraisal Theory to encompass semiotic materiality. Semiotic materiality denotes the evaluative force of objects, spaces, and embodied actions as signs, while the model specifies how these signs interact with lexical indices and appraisal resources to yield culturally anchored evaluations (see Section 4). This model offers tools for translators, diplomats, and educators and broadens our understanding of how emotion and morality are encoded across literary traditions, opening avenues for further cross-cultural research.

Highlights

  • The paper examines evaluative-expressive features of communicative signs in two culturally distinct short stories: Chevara by Said Ahmad (Uzbek) and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen (American).
  • It integrates Appraisal Theory, lexical analysis, and semiotic analysis to investigate how maternal discourse conveys emotion, morality, and social values.
  • The analysis reveals culture-specific emotional and interactional styles, showing how motherhood is expressed differently in the Uzbek Soviet and American postwar contexts.
  • The study proposes an integrated evaluative model that extends Appraisal Theory to semiotic materiality, with practical applications in translation (preserving appraisal lexis), diplomacy (register templates), and language education (appraisal-aware tasks), ultimately enhancing cross-cultural understanding.

Keywords:

Appraisal Theory; Communicative Signs; Maternal Discourse; Cross-Cultural Analysis; Lexical and Semiotic Analysis; Tillie Olsen; Said Ahmad; Evaluative-Expressive Language

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How to Cite

Karimova, F., Otajonova, D., Makhmudov, K., Djabbarova, F., Khonsaidova, M., Makhamatkhujaeva, G., Baltaeva, N., Usmonova, R., Akmalkhonov, S.-F., & Shabidinova, Z. (2025). Appraisal and Semiotics of Motherhood: A Comparative Study of English and Uzbek Literary Discourse. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 1278–1298. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11816

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 11 (November 2025)

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Fotima Karimova, Dildor Otajonova, Kudratbek Makhmudov, Feruza Djabbarova, Maktuba Khonsaidova, Guzal Makhamatkhujaeva, Nodira Baltaeva, Ruzikhon Usmonova, Said-Fozilkhon Akmalkhonov, Zera Shabidinova

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