Milton Tells the Truth (Situational Irony)
When Marco is killed, Milton claims to have seen a man with a diamond ring holding Marco underwater during the whale hunt. This leads to the suspicion that that man was Dwight, as he has a large diamond ring on his finger. However, no one takes Milton's testimony seriously, as he is viewed as mentally slow and therefore unable to be relied upon. Yet, he is the only one who tells the truth about what happened on the hunt and does end up being right about Dwight. In this instance of situational irony, the only person to speak honestly about the murder is viewed derisively as unreliable and unintelligent.
Lin Brings Red Fish (Dramatic Irony)
The last gift that Thomas gives Lin before going to Vietnam is a red fish. She clings to the memory of this fish fiercely and decides to bring him one as a gift when she meets him in America. Unfortunately, this has the unintended consequence of dredging up painful memories for Thomas. In this moment of dramatic irony, a gift that Lin hopes will remind Thomas of their happy time together, as it did for her, only draws out upsetting flashbacks to the war.
Ruth Welcomes Lin (Situational Irony)
When Lin arrives in America, she is immediately taken in by Ruth, who is loving and welcoming to her, acting in a maternal manner. This is surprising because Lin is not actually related to Ruth, but to Thomas, who treats her very coldly when they first meet. It is also surprising because Lin is born as the result of an affair Thomas had while he was married to Ruth. This is an example of situational irony in that Ruth treats Lin maternally despite the fact that she is not her biological daughter and has reason to resent her.
Whale Washes Away (Dramatic Irony)
After the whale hunt, the whale ends up washing away the following morning. All of the conflict surrounding the whale, from Ruth's impassioned pleas to scrap the whale hunt to Dwight's cold-blooded drowning of Marco, end up being for nothing. In this instance of dramatic irony, the many sacrifices made for the whale hunt are ultimately in vain.
