Irony of Nuns Lying
Nuns are regarded as trustworthy, devout figures in Christianity. Marjane writes, “The sisters sent a letter to my parents, explaining to them that, humiliated to have been caught red-handed stealing a fruit yogurt, I had decided to leave the boarding house of my volition." The nuns’ recourse to falsehood validates their act of kicking Marjane out of the boarding house. Even Marjane’s parents can detect that the letter is a white lie since Marjane is not enthusiastic with fruit yoghurt. The nuns perjure themselves to evade the responsibility for showing Marjane prejudice. Marjane cannot condone with Mother superior’s insults; as a result, she verbally insults the mother in the same way that the mother uses foul language when confronting her. The lie included in the letter uncovers the double standards that are endemic in religion.
Irony of Marjane’s mother feeling uncomfortable with calm in Austria
When Marjane asks her mother about Iran, her mother tells her, “Still the same bombings, arrest, we’re used to it that the calm here makes me a little nervousness.” The feeling of nervousness is ironic; Marjane’s mother would have been unperturbed to be in a tranquil setting where she does not have to be bothered about haphazard bombings. Her apprehension suggests that the Iranians are acquiescent to the war in the country.
Irony of Marjane being sent to boarding house
When Marjane arrives in Austria, she contemplates, “Zozo, my mother’s best friend, would love me like her own daughter.” However, Zozo, sends her to a boarding house after a short notice. Zozo does not regard Marjane as her daughter because if were the case she would have accommodated her notwithstanding the miniature size of the apartment. Marjane’s expectations are smashed, which means that anticipations are not corresponding to veracity.
The Irony of a Dream Child
Marjane gives her parents the notion that she is still their dream child when they talk over phone. However, Marjane confesses, “If only they knew…if they knew that their daughter was made up like a punk, that she smoked joints to make a good impression, that she had seen men in their underwear while they were being bombed every day, they couldn’t call me their dream child.” Even though Marjane figures out that she is not the ‘dream child’ that her parents consider her to be, it would be tough for her to notify them that she has gone astray. The irony of the ‘dream child’ makes evident the inevitability of identity dilemmas.
