The Formation and the Functions of Cultural Codes in the Works of Charles Dickens

Abstract

Cultural codes embedded in literature reflect the social, historical, and religious realities of their time, serving as symbolic markers that enrich meaning and provide insight into collective consciousness. Charles Dickens, particularly in his novel Hard Times, masterfully integrates cultural codes that mirror the complexities of 19th-century English society, including class divisions, industrialization, family relations, and religious beliefs. While Dickens’s works have been extensively studied globally, there has been insufficient focus in Uzbek linguistics on the linguocultural dimensions of his writings, especially regarding their translation and the preservation of cultural nuances. This study analyzes the formation and functions of cultural codes in Hard Times, exploring how they shape the stylistic and emotional coloring of the text and how they are transmitted or lost in Uzbek translation. The analysis demonstrates that Dickens’s use of names, idioms, biblical references, and social practices carries deep cultural significance, often obscured in translation when literal methods are applied. Examples include symbolic character names, metaphors of luxury such as turtle soup, and satirical expressions like “Hands,” which lose their stylistic coloring in Uzbek versions. The research introduces a linguocultural approach to Dickens’s work within the Uzbek scholarly context, combining literary analysis with translation studies to reveal how cultural codes function across languages. These findings underscore the necessity for translators to consider socio-historical context and cultural symbolism to preserve stylistic depth, thereby contributing to more accurate cross-cultural communication and a fuller appreciation of Dickens’s literary legacy.