For Teachers & Students

Saroyan's most widely taught short story, and the most requested guide on this site. Covers the Garoghlanian family name, the Fresno setting, Aram and Mourad, Uncle Khosrove and John Byro, and the story's central themes of the immigrant experience, personal morality, and trust and reputation. Includes study questions.

A full guide to Saroyan's wartime Fresno novel. Nine character profiles including Homer and Ulysses Macauley, Mr. Spangler and Mr. Grogan; themes of mortality and grief, small town life, and identity; plus essay prompts and further reading.

Saroyan's Pulitzer-winning play, set in a San Francisco waterfront saloon. Covers background, plot, the ensemble cast, the setting, major themes, style, and the play's production history.

The 1934 story that made Saroyan's name. The guide covers the summary, characters, the San Francisco setting, Assyrian history and context, and themes of the brotherhood of man, the immigrant experience, and the role of the writer.

A short, accessible story that works well with younger students. Covers publication background, plot, the Fresno setting, and themes of mortality, interdependence, and earth stewardship, with discussion questions and further reading.

First published in the 1937 collection *Three Times Three*, and since reprinted in dozens of anthologies and adapted into short films, television episodes, a Broadway play, and an opera.