Irony of Melee Weapons
It is ironic that practically all warfare carried out on Mars/Barsoom is carried out as large-scale sword fights despite the presence and availability of several advance and more effective, more destructive forms of ranged weaponry. The reason for the Martian predilection for melee weapons and melee combat is never explained in the novel.
Irony of Advanced Technology
Martian technology is advanced to the extent that the effects it produces are virtually indistinguishable from magic. Despite that, they are unable to halt the gradual decline of their world or produce enough food and water for the inhabitants of the planet.
Irony of the Tharks
The Tharks, rather than make use of the miraculous technology of their forebears, turn instead to barbarism in order to survive. The Tharks indeed survive but instead of flourishing as a people they devolve into nothing more than wild animals.
Irony of the Martian Warrior Culture
Despite the scarce natural resources of Mars rather than pooling their resources, both mental and physical they choose instead to continue to wage war amongst themselves. It is quite ironic that instead of developing new solutions such as terraforming, genetic manipulation of food crops and livestock, or a large-scale planetary exodus to find habitable new worlds to solve old problems like depletion of natural resources and environmental collapse they chose to collectively apply old solutions, such as warfare and genocide, to solve their problems.
Irony of Earthling “Superiority”
It seems that humanity, by and large, should be on Mars to truly realize their physical potential. On Mars, Earth-born humans are suddenly gifted with superhuman strength and as such man with military training and conditioning, such as John Carter, would no doubt rise to become the finest, most formidable of fighters that Mars/Barsoom, would ever witness.
