Carnival Freak (Situational Irony)
Early in the novel, Karim writes about how his little brothers had warned him that he'd feel invisible in Montreal. Karim discovers that the opposite is true: rather than feeling invisible, Karim feels he is on display, akin to a carnival freak the other students gawk at. In an instance of situational irony, he wishes he were invisible.
Her Usual Discretion (Verbal Irony)
In an example of verbal irony, the classmate narrator reports how Nancy loudly exclaimed when she first saw Karim, asking if he was the class's Christmas present. The narrator says that Nancy delivered the line "with her usual discretion," which suggests the inverse is true: nothing about the statement or Nancy is delicate or tactful.
Snow Angels (Dramatic Irony)
Late in the second part of the novel, Karim and Maha discuss how they've never felt snow. Maha says she's always wanted to make a snow angel by lying down and moving her arms. (This exchange explains why Karim scowls at My-Lan when she makes a snow angel at the beginning of the book.) Because of the narrative's temporal structure, at this moment in the book, the reader knows more than Karim does: in this example of dramatic irony, the reader understands that Karim will have a chance to play in snow once he moves to Montreal.
Lycée Closed in March (Situational Irony)
Though Karim stays in Beirut to study for his baccalaureate exams, soon after his family leaves, the lycée where Karim goes to school closes due to ramped-up fighting. In this instance of situational irony, the reason Karim stayed behind quickly disappears.
