Aboriginal councillors "wisely" used their time in office to pursue personal gain (Verbal Irony)
The narrator describes how the Aboriginal councilors “wisely used their time in public office to pursue scraps of personal gain for their own families living amidst the muck of third-world poverty.” This description of the Aboriginal councilors’ actions as wise is an example of verbal irony, since the narrator really means the opposite. Overall, the narrator portrays these councilors negatively, as hypocrites and traitors.
"the natural flowing dominating law of white governance" (Verbal Irony)
The narrator ironically describes white rule in Desperance. Throughout the novel, the author demonstrates how the only “natural” law is the law of nature. Through Aboriginal law, native communities seek to live in harmony with nature. Yet there is nothing natural about the rule of white colonizers, who showed up claiming they came from nowhere and violently taking over the land. The narrator’s use of verbal irony highlights the untrue and unjust ideology that white settlers use to justify their colonization.
Gordie’s murder, the arrest of three young boys, and Norm leaving town is "normal" (Verbal Irony)
When Desperance is faced with a series of disturbing events, the narrator ironically describes all of the strange things they are experiencing as "normal." This use of verbal irony highlights the absurd lengths that Desperance residents are willing to go to in order to hold on to the image of their town as normal and upstanding.
Norm, Hope and Bala row just four kilometers away from Will’s island (Dramatic Irony)
In this example of dramatic irony, the reader knows that Norm rows his green boat just four kilometers away from the floating island of garbage where Will is stranded. The reader also knows that Will’s dreams about the green boat arriving at the island, along with Hope’s dreams of Will inhabiting a floating garbage island, are accurate premonitions. However, none of the characters are aware of what’s going on. This instance of dramatic irony increases the suspense around Hope and Will’s reunion.
Norm decides to build his new home on top of the serpent’s nest (Situational Irony)
At the end of Carpentaria, Norm surprises the reader by making a decision that is the opposite of what we would expect: he chooses to build a new home for himself and Bala right on top of the serpent spirit’s nest. Norm always hated this spot that Angel chose for his home. Now that Desperance is destroyed he could choose to build his new home anywhere, yet he decides the family will live in exactly the same spot. This example of situational irony highlights how the concepts of home and family have changed over the course of the novel.
