Irony of Elizabeth's Happiness
When she was large, Elizabeth thought she would be happy if she were thinner. She worked hard, dieted strictly, and eventually forced her body into a fit, thinner frame. Once she had achieved her goal, however, she found herself no happier than before - her husband grew disinterested in her, and her marriage fell apart. Now, by the end of the novel, she has allowed herself to grow a bit larger again, finally realizing the irony that reaching her dream body didn't make her happy like she thought it would.
Irony of Itsy Bitsy
In "The Girl I Hate," Elizabeth has a colleague at work whom she dubs "Itsy Bitsy." She is a petite woman, but ironically she has a large appetite and a particularly strong sweet tooth. This irony is not lost on Elizabeth, who develops a hatred for her because of it.
Irony of Britta
In "If That's All There Is," Elizabeth starts sleeping with a coworker named Archibald. A while later, she finds out that he has a girlfriend, named Britta, who is also a large woman and who does not appreciate his relationship with Elizabeth. There is a confrontation, and Britta injures Archibald. Ironically, instead of hating each other, Elizabeth and Britta realize their mutual victimization and find awkward solidarity in their sad lives.
Irony of China
In "Full Body," Elizabeth idolizes China, a makeup artist whom she sees as the perfect girl. She gets China to take flattering photographs of her, which actually doesn't end up well; China clearly doesn't care about doing a good job, and the photos turn out terribly. In the end, China leaves her out to dry on a group project, making Elizabeth realize how horrible a person China really is underneath that attractive exterior.
Irony of Trixie's Work
In "I Want Too Much," Elizabeth visits a tailor of sorts named Trixie who "specializes" in finding the right accessories to make people look attractive. She recommends several pieces of clothing to Elizabeth, all of which are too small and do nothing for her figure. Elizabeth watches as Trixie convinces another large woman that some tight jeans and a belt will make her look beautiful, but the sad, ironic truth is that they do exactly the opposite.
