Dramatic irony-Herr Graf and his nephew
Herr Graf gets aboard the ship Vera with his nephew Johann. Herr Graf is an ill man reborn through religion thinking that he has a power of healing. His Johann is constantly abusing him angry because he doesn’t want to give him any money, but Herr Graf believes it’s for his nephew’s own good. Herr Graf is unaware that his nephew is plotting his death together with one of the Cuban girls, who wants to than relieve him of the taken money after he kills his uncle. Herr Graf’s unawareness and goodwill towards his nephew makes this a dramatic irony of the novel.
Comic irony-Jenny and David
David finds himself with a rising contempt toward Jenny and other passengers on the ship who are not up to his taste. Despite his cynical inner dialogue he never reveals his opinions on the outside, his actions even being comically contradictory. Jenny is insecure about her relationship with David realizing it’s a toxic trap. Both of them want to leave each other and insinuate going separate ways throughout, only to happily end up reconciled and ready for another journey making this a comic irony of the novel.
Situational irony-Elsa Lutz
Elsa is introduced as a tragic character who is constantly under the watchful eye of her mother, unable to make her choices, even when it comes to her body. She shares the room together with Jenny, and Elsa’s story is set up in a way that the reader expects her to make a leap to free herself from the clutches of her mother. It goes as far as setting up for her to dance with the love of her life, but Elsa denies unable to, despite all her efforts, free herself and make her choice for once. Elsa’s story doesn’t go as expected which makes this a situational irony.
Verbal irony-German group making fun of the unfortunate passengers
The scene with Herr Rieber and a few other German passengers standing above and laughing at the poor passenger of the ship is a striking example of the rising National Socialism and the thought of Arian dominance in Germany at the time. Herr Rieber comments on murdering the poor passengers as an act of kindness by turning on the gas. The meek Frau Schmitt comments on the cruelty of that statement, but she is immediately struck down by the rest undermining the humanity and worth of the poor and unfortunate.
