The Irony of Modern Technology Objects
The author is amazed that modern technology objects such as iPhones are so loyal and obedient to the users that they ask for nothing, but they give everything. The contemporary technology objects are loving and responsive, and they provide everything that they are commanded. Ironically, these beloved objects ask for nothing in return, and they do not throw terrible scenes when asked to offer what they cannot. The author writes, "…the beloved object asks for nothing and gives everything instantly, and makes us feel all-powerful, and doesn't throw terrible scenes when it is replaced by the even sexier object, and it is consigned to a drawer."
The Irony of David’s Death
The reader finds it ironic that David is dying of boredom and despair about his novels' future. On the contrary, the reader expects David's future books to increase his optimism to live. The author writes, "Now that the work was done, though, it was harder to ignore the circumstance that, arguably, in one interpretation of his suicide, David had died of boredom and in despair about his future novels.”
The Irony of the Desert Island
The author reflects on his father's life in the early days when he was still a teen. The narrator recalls how the dad used to read loud Robinson Crusoe Novel to help him have the novel's first experience. He compares his father to Crusoe, who liked to be isolated and do things lonely. Ironically, the author's father found his best romance on a desert island surrounded by cannibals. The author says, "Self-disciplined survival on a desert island surrounded by cannibals was the best romance for him." This narration's satire is that someone can find the best romance on an island surrounded by cannibals.
The Irony of the Fly Island
The name Fly Island is satirical because the notion one gets the first time is that aircraft can access it. Ironically, the island is only accessible by boats. The irony is that the island is name Fly because of the massive existence of the flies. The narrator says, "Onshore were breathtaking quantities of flies – the place nickname is Fly Island.”
The irony of the Pump
The narrator earlier indicated that he was sixteen when going camping for the first time. The reader finds it ironic that he travels with a pump he bought twenty years ago, meaning that it is older than him. It is also satirical that the pump is not useful to him even though it has never been used. He says, "I'd bought the pump twenty years ago earlier, thinking it would come in handy if I were ever alone in the wilderness, and its plastic had since gone brittle.”
