The irony of the bee
Sardonically, the author writes that bees welcomed Holmes to his home. Bees are not human-friendly because they consider people as intruders who raid their habitats. The author writes, "Then there were the bees he tended: The world continued to change, as did he, but they persisted nonetheless. And after his eyes closed, and his breath resonated, it would be a bee that welcomed him home.”
The Irony of Rodgers
Rodgers is Munro's son leaving together with Holmes, the older man. The love between Holmes and Rodgers is amazing because one is confused to think that Rodgers is Holmes' biological son. The reader finds it satirical that a person can purely love someone's child with passion. Most of the time, Holmes does not enjoy the company of children, but Rodgers is an exception. Holmes asks, "And while he rarely enjoyed the company of children, it was difficult avoiding the paternal stirrings he harbored, could that meandering woman have borne such a good offspring? Consequently, Holmes loved Rodgers than he could have loved his biological child.”
The irony of the Jamaican cigar
The reader finds it satirical that Holmes could chew a Jamaican cigar instead of smoking it whenever he failed to find a matchstick. The author writes, “That slow-walking geriatric, searching his pockets for a match he’d never find, chewing relentlessly on an unlit Jamaican cigar.”
The Irony of Holmes’ passion for study
Holmes is an aging man but is satirical that he still wants to continue studying. The older man's passion for books cannot be compared to anything because he spends most of his time in the library. The author writes, "As before, Rodger gingerly assisted Holmes, helping him from the chair, sticking close to him when they exited the study; the boy traveled with him across the corridor, then down the stairs, then into the dining room, where, at last slipping past Roger's light grasp, he went forward on his own, moving toward the large Victorian golden oak table and the single place setting that Mrs. Munro had laid for him."
The irony of time
Time is a free resource that is naturally available, but ironically, it is valued. The common phrase 'time is money confirms that it is often limited despite time being a free resource. Rodgers has wasted most of his time, but he has come to realize that he is running out of time to accomplish his mission. When his mother calls him, Rodgers realizes that he has less time left. The author writes, "After her voice faded, he lowered his head once more, reminding himself that he didn't have much time left-in less than an hour, he was expected at the library; before long, the manuscript would need to be concealed exactly as it had been originally found."
