Svetlana’s Prediction
Svetlana predicts that Selin will be intimate with Ivan should she accept the teaching job Ivan has gotten her. Selin recounts, “Svetlana said that, if I agreed to go, he was going to try to have sex with me." However, the prediction does not materialize. Ivan and Selin do not become intimate. Another irony is Selin's admission that she has never visualized herself being intimate with Ivan, even though they are in a relationship and are in love.
Either/Or
The book Either/Or does not offer a definitive conclusion of the best alternative between an ethical and an aesthetic life. Selin recounts, "Unsurprisingly, the back of "Ether/Or" didn't tell you which way of living was right. All it said was "Does Kierkegaard mean us to prefer one of the alternatives?" " The questions leave the reader questioning which position they should select. The author's ironic conclusion underscores that his role is not to impart information or to choose for the readers.
Lakshmi’s Affluence: An Irony
Although Lakshmi leads a lifestyle of affluence, he is not affluent. Selin discloses, “Lakshmi had grown up in palatial residences in Dubai and Copenhagen because her father was an ambassador. Her parents had hosted lavish parties, attended by a large staff, without actually owning any of the things in their house.” Lakshmi’s father's job enables him to access resources such as the palatial residences associated with affluence. However, he does not own them. Many would conclude that he is a wealthy man based on the parties. Most of the clothes that Lakshmi wears are second-hand clothes already worn by wealthy women.
