“Losing her kids” - “Rock Springs”
The narrator (Earl) explains, “She (Edna) herself had already had her own troubles, losing her kids.” The narrator’s assertion implies that Edna is hurt as a result of the loss ; she would have desired to retain the kids. Nonetheless, Edna’s implied trouble is ironic considering that, “Danny (Edna’s ex-husband) was afraid of me (the narrator) because Edna had told him I’d been in prison in Florida for Killing a man, though it wasn’t true…Edna just wanted the story worse than it was so Danny wouldn’t act crazy and make her have to take the kids back, since she had made a good adjustment to not having them.” Edna’s ironic approach of thwarting her husband from returning the kids reveals that she is exploiting Avoidance. Having the kids would agitate her unconscious agony which she weathered after losing them.
The Irony of Bobby’s Willingness to Surrender - “Sweethearts”
Bobby willingly surrenders to the Sheriff while conscious that his action would result in incarceration. Bobby asserts, “So how am I going to keep up my self-respect. Answer me that. That’s my big problem.” Bobby’s query infers that his resolution to surrender is accredited to the wish to espouse his self-respect by taking responsibility for his criminality. Instead of endeavoring to dodge Justice, Bobby faces his past criminalities voluntarily.
