The Irony of scattered Refuse
Otto and his wife Sophie are described as a successful family financially which lives in a neighborhood with a good ambiance. The reader expects this neighborhood to be perfect. Ironically, there is refuse everywhere. Otto also realizes that there are dogs’ feces and wonders at what time they come to shit. Generally, the place is described as disgusting. The author writes, “There was still refuse everywhere, a tide that rose barely ebbed. Beer bottles and beer cans, liquor bottles, candy wrappers, crushed cigarette packs, caved-in boxes that had held detergents, rags, newspapers……….and dogs’ feces.” This description paints a picture of how dirty the environment is around Otto’s house. A man of Otto’s status should not live in such an environment.
The Irony of the cat bite
Sophie is bitten by a wild cat and she is wounded. Ironically, she does not want to seek any form of medication because she strongly feels that it is a mere spiral that will heal naturally. She insists on doing her household activities as usual hoping that nothing serious will come out of that wound. She is even not ready to be driven even though she is having difficulty in walking due to the effect of the wound. She thinks that if she asks her husband for a drive, he will think that she is suffering from the wound. The author writes, "…. Sophie did not feel up to walking – she was vaguely nauseated - she did not want to insist on being driven. Otto would think the cat bite had affected her more than it had.”
The irony of the colored man
Throughout the text, the people who are littering refuse around the environment are irresponsible and they do it with pride. Such people intend to hurt others. Otto is angry at this behavior. He asks his wife why people are fond of throwing garbage on the pavements. Sophie is not surprised because she tells her husband that she even sees people kicking baskets of trash own the street. There is also another man who intentionally pisses out to the yard. Sophie says, “It is a simple provocation. I watched a colored man kick over a trash basket yesterday. When it rolled out into the street, he put his hands on his hips and roared with laughter.” This sounds sarcastic that a person can litter the environment and then start laughing.
The irony of Marriage
Marriage is often considered as a union or companionship in which a couple is expected to live together happily. However, it is ironic that the marriage between Otto and Sophie is a complete opposite. Otto is too occupied with his businesses and he does not have time for his wife. Sophie feels lonely most of the time. Whenever she tries to explain her loneliness, Otto dismisses her and says that he has important things to do. The reader remains to wonder why the two got married in the first place because their union does not fit in the definition of marriage.
The irony of inflated house prices
When Otto and Sophie drive across the town, they spot a posh estate called Heights. However, what is funny is that there is garbage everywhere just like in Ottos' neighborhood. The prices of these houses at Heights Estate are extremely high when compared to Otto's place. He wonders why the prices of houses are so high in a place full of garbage. He promises himself that he cannot buy a house in Heights Estate. The reader expects the environment around the high priced houses to be clean but that is not the case. The author writes, "Otto noted with satisfaction that there was as much garbage here as in their neighborhood. He wouldn't consider buying a house on the Heights…. inflated prices….”
