The irony of Higgins’ father
Higgins and his family live at the base of a mounting that can collapse anytime and kill them. The family lives at the base of the mountain, which was strip-mined and left with a big sludge behind, implying that it could slide anytime, posing a danger to human life. Higgins is worried that his family is in danger. Ironically, Higgins' father does not see anything wrong with living at the mountain's base because that is where he has lived for his entire life, and the mountain has never slipped.
The paradox of neighborhood
The people living at the mountain base are suspicious of their neighbors. For instance, no one wants to associate with the Killburn family because they are accused of Witchcraft. However, M.C. Higgins and Ben, part of Killburn's family, are close friends, but their friendship is secret. M.C. finds it ironic that his father cannot touch anything the Killburn family touches. Consequently, the neighbors are suspicious of each other, which create unnecessary enmity between people who live in the same neighborhood.
The satire of change of mind
M.C. Higgins is a satirical character. When the story starts, M.C. wants to leave his home and looks forward to relocating to a safer place. According to M.C., his home is in danger because the mountain will slip. Satirically, towards the end of the story, M.C. does not want to leave the mountain anymore; instead, he wants to live there and do whatever it takes to protect his home from the dangers of the mountain.
