The Irony of Pretence and Façade (Situational Irony)
The situational irony of pretense and façade occurs when Savannah Pagonis pretends to have been beaten by her boyfriend in order to be accommodated by Stan and Joy. Savannah seeks help from the Delaneys to exact revenge but insists she has fought with her husband. Nobody in the Delaney family doubts her. Stan and Joy together with their children accommodate Savannah but a few days later discover that she never fought with her boyfriend.
The irony of Disappearance (Dramatic Irony)
The author uses dramatic irony to create tension among the characters and make them think that something bad has occurred to Joy. However, the audience understands that Joy’s disappearance has nothing to do with death because she sent her children a text message. In their thoughts, the characters believe Stan could have killed his wife. The audience knows that Stan has not killed his wife because the small argument they had could not lead to murder.
The Irony of Revenge (Situational Irony)
The situational irony of revenge is explored through Savannah who wants to exact revenge on the Delaneys because they denied her food when she was young. It is ironic for Savannah to think of exacting revenge due to a small matter that occurred many years ago. When Savannah came to pick her brother Harry from Delaney’s house, everyone was mean to her. Since the Delaney family denied her food, she wants revenge. Indeed, it’s ironic to revenge against a small issue like being denied food.
Situational Irony of Police Showing Up and Joy Delaney walking In.
When the police gather enough evidence to incriminate Stan, they decide to arrest him. Therefore, they head to Stan’s house to arrest. During the moment of arrest, Joy walks in the door to the amazement of everybody. It is ironic for Joy to walk in the door as the police arrest Stan. Such a coincidence implies the use of irony by the author.
The Irony of Broken Relationships and Marriages
All four Delaney siblings are having broken relationships and marriages. It is ironic for all of them to fail to maintain their relationships and marriage when their parents have sustained their relationship and marriage in those years. The four Delay siblings experience relationship challenges, unlike their parents who only face normal marital challenges.
