Reused imagery (Situational Irony)
One of the book's closing illustrations exactly mirrors the one opening the book: the boy walking to the right with a calm grin on his face. After the outlandish, wondrous, and dramatic series of events the boy experiences—from the hot-air balloon race to stand-offs against multiple monsters—it is surprising that the boy ends up in the same situation he started in: confidently moving forward. Situational irony thus pervades this reuse of imagery, as we do not expect the boy to return to a state that precedes his growth from experiencing and overcoming failure, stagnation, and crippling loneliness. While this reuse of imagery may appear to evoke the boy’s regression to an unenlightened state, it is more so an indication of his preparedness and commitment to continually challenge himself. As such, the irony of the reused imagery represents the cyclical nature of progress. Regardless of our lived experiences, we must keep moving forward to flourish into our most fully realized selves.
