The irony of bigamy
Ironically, James is a polygamist man, but he does not want to accept it. He hides his second wife and daughter from the first wife. Chaurisse is not aware that she has a step-sister, but Dana does. The narrator knows very well that her mother is legally married to James, and she does not understand why he hides them from the first wife and daughter. Dana asks herself, "But like my mother, his wife, too? She has legal documents and even a single Polaroid proving that she stood with James Alexander Witherspoon Junior in front of a judge just over the state line in Alabama."
The irony of the Baptist Churches' fanatics
Outwardly, religion condemns bigamy, but they fail to testify why God's most respected men like King David and Solomon had many wives. The narrator remembers that even the Baptist churches' ushers are smelling salt on the ready widows. According to the narrator, there is little difference between religious fanatics and other people. She says, “Even the Baptist churches, ushers keep smelling salts on the ready for the new widow confronted at the wake by other grieving widow and her stair-step kids.”
The irony of the narrator’s mother
Gwen is legally married to James, but, ironically, she does not accept that she is the second legal wife. The narrator is used to seeing her mother sometimes cursing herself for being the second wife. The narrator says, “There are other terms, I know, and when she is tipsy, angry, or sad, the mother uses them to describe herself: concubine, whore, mistress, consort." Gwen thinks that she is a husband snatcher because sometimes she is not happy with her married life.
The irony of an Illegitimate daughter
Dana does not believe that she is the legitimate daughter to James because he loves playing hide and seeks games, denying her an opportunity to meet the first family. However, a child cannot be categorized as legal or illegal because both are born out of consent. When Dana mentions that she is an illegitimate daughter, her mother gets provoked and reminds her that she is James' daughter under whatever circumstance. Gwen tells Dana, “You are his daughter. End of Story.”
The Irony of James
Satirically, Dana is James' biological daughter, but he hides her from his first family and other relatives. The only person Dana knows that is associated with James is his friend Raleigh. The narrator says, “In the background was Raleigh, my father’s best friend, the only person we knew from his other life.”
