The irony of heritage and family obligation.
For a person in Andrea's position, family obligation is not a helpful aspect of life. So she moves toward the path of individualization by removing herself from her homelands and going to Madrid. But ironically, that is shown to be the right (or at least an acceptable) decision, meaning that Andrea is not abandoning her family by leaving, but maybe even preserving her family by making a life for herself.
The irony of gender/androgyny.
The irony of gender is pretty noticeable in the book, but not in an obvious way. Look at the role of gender in the plot of the story. Does it matter? It seems that gender does not matter in the world of Andrea and Ena. Something about the culture of that time made it so that socially constructed roles and assumptions became unhelpful and restrictive. Another way to say this is when everyone is in survival mode, gender roles become obsolete. Ironically, Andrea's most womanly feature is that she doesn't let previous modes of existence stop her from succeeding, like many of her family unfortunately does.
The irony of government in post-war Europe.
Government exists for serious reasons. Firstly, the government protects its citizens from the threat of violence and death. But what happens when the government becomes unstable and scared? Ironically, in the novel, what happens is that the government starts to exist for its own benefit and becomes something of a threat to the public. That's another terrible irony.
The irony of existence and essence.
Before the early 20th century wars in Europe, European civilization was essentially moralistic or essentialist. Most people, even those who were not religious, had the sense that life existed for specific reasons and that everyone had a fate. But after the brutality of war, a new ironic mode came into existence: Existentialism. The irony of existentialism in the novel is this: The characters in the story are depicted as more-or-less unguided. A musician ends up in jail for crimes committed against the state. The musician doesn't end up being a celebrity or making music professionally—he does something almost random instead. In light of the social decay, everyone is left with the challenge of creating meaning in a world where meaning isn't found. That's a serious irony and a sad one.
The irony of post-war civics.
Another significant aspect of Andrea's departure from Barcelona is the aspect of civic duty. Civics has been largely removed from American culture, for the most part, but the reader must understand that in 1950's Spain, there would have been a serious motivation to take care of the city, to help the city get back on its feet, and to help others in distress. This is partly why Ena's family is willing to help Andrea, perhaps. But the irony is that in Spain at this time, civic virtue for Andrea meant relocating to a new community where she could become a fully independent citizen. Ironically, the best thing Andrea can do for Barcelona is leaving it behind for a better life with hopes of gaining resources and experience to bring back later.
