The paradox of Sasha’s husband
Sasha loves her husband, and she tells him all about her past. The husband promises Sasha that he will play a vital role in helping her to recover from her painful past. Ironically, whenever Sasha is haunted by her past, her husband abuses her, telling her she is a sick woman. Making matters worse, Sasha's husband says that all of Sasha's family members are sick and mad. Consequently, the husband is doing the contrary because he adds more pain to Sasha instead of helping her to focus on the future.
Sasha’s refusal to forget her past
Sasha shows determination and the urge to achieve her goals at university. For Sasha, education is the only key to her success, and she is determined to excel. Ironically, despite acknowledging that her past is the number one obstacle in her journey to success, she always accepts the dark past to haunt her. Sasha tells readers that she has the power to forget her past because that is the only way she can move forward. However, she allows her past to push her back on various occasions instead of moving forward to explore her potential.
The irony of white people
The white people in the novel are ironic characters because they remind victims of the violence of their past. For instance, Sasha recounts how white people refer to them as survivors instead of regarding them as fellow human beings. Sasha finds it ironic that white people claim to be humane when they intentionally label her family as unfit because they spent their entire life living in church attics, trailers, and on the streets.
