Armenian Genocide

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. Turkish officials report the Armenians were not harmed by the government, and refute the idea that there was any attempt at mass extinction. Other governments, such as the United States government, do not openly denounce the concept of the genocide, but at the same...