SOURCE: Calonne, David Stephen. “William Saroyan and the Armenian Genocide.” Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies 7 (1994): 93-100.

In the following essay, Calonne discusses Saroyan's response to the Armenian genocide in his work, characterizing it as a complex relationship that affected his writing but did not negate his essentially positive outlook towards humanity.

William Saroyan found little in life simple or free from ambiguity. Although his prose often gives the sense of effortless bonhomie and improvisatory ease, he achieved such spontaneous expression at the hard cost of constant work and careful artistry. His relation to his Armenian heritage and the genocide of his people was also complex, yet in his response to the tragedy of his people, he ultimately was faithful to his affirmative vision of life and his belief in the basic goodness of humanity.

Born in 1908, Saroyan was seven at the climax of the Armenian Genocide...