ABSTRACT
James Joyce, who created a persona for himself as the ultimate Irish exile, was always sympathetic to other outcasts; and his inclusion of the Armenians in Finnegans Wake is a gesture of solidarity and an acknowledgment of fellowship. Joyce's revolution of the word was in part a reaction to the chaos of World War I, and finding a place in his decentered universe are the Armenians and the Armenian Genocide, references to which dot the book. The Armenian references and allusions reinforce, bolster, and add depth of meaning to the book. The Armenian acts as a signpost for major themes of Finnegans Wake: the Fall from Grace, Rebirth, and the creation of the Letter. The Genocide and Joyce's sympathy for the Armenians and their plight, as well as perception of the crucial elements of death and rebirth in the Armenians' story, are the principal reasons for the Armenians to be in the book in any substantial manner.
