The Irony of Summoning the Lionesses
The old women summon the lionesses in order to punish the men, but they unwittingly plague the entire village. These women pay a high price for their secrecy because they lose sisters, mothers, and daughters to the lions as well as their men. The beasts are not discriminate.
The Irony of Mariamar's Isolation
Mariamar is absolutely the victim of abuse. She does, however, consent to her treatment. Out of fear of being hurt worse by her father, she is unwilling to confront him about his abusiveness. This is not to say that the abuse is her fault, not at all. No one deserves to be abused. Mariamar chooses to obey her father, however, when she could have talked to Archangel about her problems. She is not helpless, but she is hurting. Instead of concerning herself with escaping her abusive father, she focuses on all the painful memories of her abuse. She's keeping herself trapped in this cycle of abuse.
The Irony of Close-Mindedness
The elders are responsible for the arrival of the lionesses, indirectly. They push their women too far. When Archangel shows up, he offers the men an opportunity to redeem themselves by listening to his expertise in the field of big game hunting. In keeping with the kind of close-mindedness which leads to abuse, the elders refuse to accept Archangel's progressive ideas, however, and they pay dearly for it as more people die which could have been spared.
The Irony of Tradition
Traditions are developed to help people by teaching valuable lessons. When they are followed blindly, however, they're purpose is lost. The villagers of Kulumani have long ago forgotten why they practice their traditions, but they are unwilling to admit this failure and instead cling vehemently to the traditions out of fear thus defeating the purpose of the traditions to teach and enlighten.
The Irony of Abuse
As the men of the village consider themselves the superiors of the women, they forget that the women have valuable skills to aid the progress of society. Through their constant abuse of the women they rob themselves of their help and complimentary feminine perspective. As a consequence, the men feel more alone and incapable than ever.
