What is the theme in Black Dog of Fate: A Memoir by Peter Balakian?

One of the most prominent themes in the novel is the controversy surrounding the Armenian Genocide that occurred during World War I, and the effect of that genocide on those who survived it. First, it is important to note that there is discrepancy in the world, as Peter Balakian points out, as to whether or not the Armenian genocide occurred. Turkish government officials refuse to recognize the genocide, noting instead that the war in Turkey caused deaths on both sides, and that the Armenians were either killed because of their threat to public security, or killed as a result of war and disease.