Hussein Changes His Name to Abe (Situational Irony)
As a man of Pakistani-Muslim heritage living in the prejudiced post-9/11 era in America, Amir's nephew Hussein changes his name to Abe to obscure his Muslim background and avoid scrutiny from counter-terrorism officers. His name change presents an instance of situational irony, because while Hussein evokes ex–Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Abe is an uncommon American name most associated with Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth U.S. president. By changing his name to Abe, Hussein ironically chooses a name that makes his efforts to hide his identity more conspicuous.
The Imam Tries to Make Amir Pray (Situational Irony)
When Emily tries to convince Amir to support Imam Fareed at his trial, Amir expresses frustration over what happened when he visited the imam in prison. Even though Amir went to help the man with his legal defense, Amir says, the imam spent an hour trying to convince Amir to start praying again. In this instance of situational irony, Amir goes to the prison believing the imam will want his help, only to have his expectations undermined when the imam, despite having spent four months in prison, is more concerned with Amir's lapsed faith than his own case.
Jory Makes Partner Instead of Amir (Situational Irony)
At the beginning of the play, Amir is confident that his boss Mort's appreciation of him will result in Amir being made partner at the law firm. However, it so happens that Jory is promoted to partner instead of Amir, who Mort tells Jory he cannot trust due to his duplicity. In this instance of situational irony, Amir's expectations are undermined when Jory is promoted ahead of him, even though he has worked at the firm longer and purports to work harder than she does.
Isaac and Emily Slept Together in London (Dramatic Irony)
After Jory and Amir leave the dinner party to buy champagne, Isaac and Emily are alone on stage. Without their partners present, Isaac and Emily discuss how they slept together during a recent trip to London. In this instance of dramatic irony, the audience learns of the affair before Jory and Amir do. The dramatic technique introduces suspense because the audience wonders when and how the other characters will learn of the affair.
