Ani's Conversation with Dean
The plot features a moment of situational irony when it is revealed that Ani recorded the supposedly "private" conversation she had with Dean (in which he admitted to raping her). The plot twist is ironic because Dean was very adamant about having the conversation privately, away from the documentary crew, and he did not want his admission to ever be shared or recorded. Ani uses the apparent agreement to manipulate Dean by leading him to believe that she is agreeing to his bargain. Ani recording the conversation is ironic because she was once unwilling to tell anyone what Dean did to her, but she now actively works to make that experience public.
Ani's Violent Fantasy
The novel opens with an ironic scene: Luke and Ani are shopping for housewares to add to their wedding registry, and the sight of a chef's knife prompts Ani to fantasize about brutally stabbing Luke. The scene is ironic because Luke and the salesperson believe that Ani is happily imagining her future life as a married woman, potentially using the knife to prepare dinner for her husband. However, Ani is actually subverting expectations of gender and domesticity by harboring violent fantasies. The ironic scene shows that there is more to Ani than meets the eye, and that she is largely performing and pretending in her relationship with Luke.
Mr. Larson's Knowledge
When Ani and Mr. Larson encounter each other after many years, Ani thinks it is a chance encounter: Mr. Larson is working on a business deal with Luke, and it would not be unusual for the two men to bring their partners along to meet. However, Mr. Larson eventually reveals that he found out Luke was engaged to Ani, requested the dinner so that he would have an opportunity to see her, and then feigned surprise. Mr. Larson's revelation is ironic because Ani has been feeling like she is the one harboring fantasies about him even though he is married. Mr. Larson's revelation shows that he manipulated the situation in order to see Ani again, and is more similar to Ani than he seems.
Luke's Fantasies
Ani describes how she and Luke like to go to a bar where a bartender, who is a lesbian, openly flirts with Ani. Luke finds these encounters arousing and believes that Ani flirts in order to provoke his desire. However, Luke is unaware (but readers learn) that Ani did once actually have sex with the bartender, and that she engages in these flirtations and fantasies more for her own pleasure than to appease Luke. This example of dramatic irony shows that Luke is self-involved, and thinks that Ani exists primarily to gratify his desires. He fails to understand or appreciate the true complexity of who Ani is.
