ARMENIAN THEME IN THE PROSE OF WILLIAM SAROYAN

William Saroyan was the first to introduce Armenian themes into American literature. The theme of the homeland, with the original characters of people who preserve their centuries-old traditions, contrasted with the leveling standards of the American way of life. Based on the challenges of time, the problem of human alienation, in the works of William Saroyan written on the Armenian theme tries to preserve the Armenian national spirit, identity, and present the centuries-old history of the Armenian people to mankind. The problems of fate and existence of Armenians abroad, their culture, the preservation of national identity are the main themes touched upon by the author. Born and living in the USA, the world-famous American writer of Armenian origin had a message: “Wherever you go, shout Armenia”. Saroyan was concerned with the basic goodness of Armenians. Saroyan’s philosophy preaches to all Armenians as a message of being faithful to national roots, national education (many families could not afford to send their children to school). William Saroyan’s work was a completely new, fresh phenomenon in the American literature of the twentieth century. He, as a key literary figure, is vividly described by Vahagn Davtyan: “Having entered the field of American literature, he began to weave wonderful epics of his environment and century with the simple and profound speech of wandering gusans, folk storytellers, taste and smell, tears and laughter, lyricism and epicness. American readers were surprised and delighted that Saroyan brought to literature a vein unknown to them until then: it was the vein of the Armenian spirit and Armenian sadness [1, 24]. All this is confirmed by the tragedy and living optimism of Saroyan himself, saying: “Although I write in English and despite the fact that I am from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are in English, the surroundings I write about are American, but the soul, which makes me write, is Armenia” [4, 420].