Childhood among Armenian immigrants

In The Human Comedy, Saroyan tells the story of a young Homer, who is assigned to deliver a telegram announcing the death of a soldier. Homer is forced to witness the effects of the reality of death on the lady, Mrs. Rosa Sandoval, to whom he delivers the telegram, announcing the death of her child in the war. This can be related to Saroyan’s own childhood, when his father died, and when he was forced to accept the reality of death.

The third major theme that is present in Saroyan’s works is childhood, and the related innocence. The Human Comedy includes a child named Ulysses. The story is told through the eyes and mind of Ulysses. The world seems simple, innocent, and fresh. Saroyan describes Ulysses as living in a big, wondrous world, where Ulysses has to quickly grow up due to the many realities he faces.