Annis' father
Annis' father, who is supposed to love her, cherish her, and keep her safe, decides to sell her into slavery, where she will face the very real potential for violence. Her father's decision is the ultimate betrayal.
Annis' romance
Annis and her girlfriend were relatively open about their romantic relationship together despite the real risk they could face reprisals for it. Their behavior is ironic because most people during the time the novel is set hid their homosexual relationships. After all, no one wants to get hurt or die.
Annis' mother
Annis' mother was raped and impregnated by her owner and slave master. Typically, slave owners wanted to ensure their "property" was as productive as possible. Later stages of pregnancy, however, make it harder for women to be productive, making his actions foolish and ironic.
Religion
Many slaveholders, including the slaveholders in the novel, were religious. One of every religion's major tenets is that everyone should be treated the same under the eyes of God. Slavery did the opposite: it treated white people better than everyone else and treated Black people as subhuman.
Conditions
Most slaveholders wanted to treat their slaves in such a way that ensured they would be as productive as possible for as long as possible. However, Annis was ironically forced to walk barefoot across the eastern part of the United States, causing her discomfort and injury on several occasions, thus ensuring she wasn't as productive as she could have been.
