Eli doesn't know who raped Eula (dramatic irony)
Eli wants desperately to know who raped his wife, but when he asks her explicitly, she tells him that "no good will come from knowing." Later, Mary asks Eula if she told Eli who did it, and when Eula says she didn't, Mary is pleased, as she thinks that if Eli knew, he would get himself in trouble with the white rapist. Thus, there is a discrepancy between what the viewer knows and what Eli knows, creating an instance of dramatic irony.
Mary stays in Ibo Landing (situational Irony)
Mary is known as the free spirit, and she often makes reference to her travels. After the final dinner, Mary tells Eula that she plans to move to Nova Scotia when everyone migrates, and she is consistently perceived as someone who left island culture behind long ago. Thus it is ironic when she makes the decision to stay with Nana on the island because it is such an unexpected turn of events. While we have been continually led to believe that Mary is the most adventurous and freedom-loving, she ends up coming home and taking care of Nana.
Haagar is closed-minded, but wants to expand her horizons (situational irony)
Haagar is fiercely outspoken throughout the film, and often judges other people for their "backwards" ways, suggesting that she is more sophisticated. She dreams of migrating so that she can leave behind the narrow thinking of the island and pursue education and culture. The contrast between Haagar's desire for something more and her closed-mindedness and judgmental nature becomes an ironic one. While she longs for city life, sophistication, and civilization, she cannot even accept members of her own family. Meanwhile, the family members whom she perceives to be "backwards," such as Nana, are far more accepting and expansive in their thinking. Thus, there is irony in the fact that Haagar is unable to perceive and let in the wisdom of her people, in spite of characterizing herself as so curious and hungry for knowledge.
The Unborn Child (Dramatic Irony)
The retrospective narration of the Unborn Child creates a dynamic of dramatic irony throughout the film, in that we are privy to a narrative confidence that the other characters do not have. We watch the events of the film unfold, all the while maintaining an intimate acquaintance with a child that has yet to be born.
