Аңдатпа
The article examines the theme of initiation in contemporary Kazakh prose using the example of Aslan Zhaksylykov’s novel “Dreams of the Damned.” The relevance of the study is defined by the need to interpret the literary representation of the Semipalatinsk nuclear trauma and its impact on national identity.The aim is to reveal the structure of the initiation plot, its symbolic and archetypal functions, and its role in Kazakh philosophical prose. The central idea is to conceptualize the initiation plot as an artistic mechanism for representing historical trauma and collective memory.The scientific significance of the research consists in expanding the theoretical comprehension of the mythopoetic and narratological aspects of Kazakh prose, while the practical significance is determined by the possibility of applying the obtained results in literary studies and pedagogical activity. The methodology combines mythopoetic, hermeneutic, and comparative approaches. The theoretical framework relies on A. van Gennep’s model of the rite of passage, V. Turner’s theory of liminality, and J. Campbell’s “hero’s journey.”In the novel, each stage of initiation is associated with motifs of memory, death, and rebirth, reflecting both universal archetypal structures and the Kazakh historical-cultural context. Archetypal images such as earth, dream, and sacrifice function as central symbols of collective memory and transformation. By integrating universal models with nationally specific codes, Zhaksylykov creates a multilayered philosophical text.The study contributes to national and comparative literary criticism by clarifying the mechanisms of interaction between archetype and historical trauma. The results are directly related to the ongoing doctoral dissertation “The Plot of Initiation in Contemporary Kazakh Prose” and may also be applied in university curricula and in the preparation of lecture courses on mythopoetics and trauma discourse.BULLETIN of Ablai Khan KazUIRandWL.