The article examines the image of the famous Kazakh poet, zhyrau, batyr Makhambet Utemisovich in the novel "Bas" by Rahimzhan Otarbayev, one of the most important works of historical Kazakh prose. Literature analysis, symbolic analysis of the text and its content were carried out as research methods. The research analyzed literary works and articles about the hero of the novel. Then the symbolic role and the ideological component of the hero's image in the text of the novel were analyzed. Thus, the main value of the article lies in the fact that common elements characteristic of historical Kazakh prose in literature and unique literary elements characteristic only of this novel are used inside the novel. The general characteristic elements in the novel describe the manifestation of the heroic image of Kazakh history, resisting colonial oppression. And the unique literary element driving the plot is the "skulls" of the excavated hero. So, this research work revealed the image of the hero who formed the basis of the plot of the fate of Makhambet Utemisov, who did not find peace even after the hard life and death of Makhambet Utemisov, and a literary analysis of the novel was carried out.
prose, historical novel, symbolism, plot, folklore