Abstract
This article examines the motif of alienation in Dulat Isabekov's play “Transit Passenger” (1989) within the context of the cultural and historical shifts characteristic of the transitional period from the Soviet to the post-Soviet era in Kazakhstan. The motif of alienation is analyzed as a universal category reflecting fundamental changes in both collective and individual identity amid social and cultural instability. Through a comparative analysis with the works of Samuel Beckett (“Waiting for Godot”) and Tennessee Williams (“A Streetcar Named Desire”), the article explores the typological and semantic aspects of alienation, with a focus on its expression through the categories of time, loss of social identity, and fragmentation of cultural memory. The authors argue that Isabekov, by employing the motif of alienation, not only captures the existential crises caused by the rupture between past and present but also offers a new understanding of the process of social and cultural integration. Alienation in Isabekov's play is viewed as a dialectical process in which the preservation of cultural traditions confronts the necessity of adapting to changing realities, ultimately leading to a redefinition of collective identity. Thus, the article offers an original interpretation of the motif of alienation, demonstrating its role in expanding the boundaries of Kazakhstani dramaturgy within the context of global literary processes.