Lakshmi's stepfather (Situational Irony)
After Lakshmi’s father's death, her Ama remarries a man who, unlike the majority of men who work to support their families, chooses to “play cards, talk politics and drink tea with the old men" and gamble away what little the family has. Still, Ama considers herself lucky to “have a man at all.” This belief is ironic because Lakshmi's stepfather is the cause of nearly all the family's woes and is the one who chooses to sell Lakshmi into sexual slavery.
Lakshmi's sale (Dramatic Irony)
In the section titled "A Trade," Lakshmi believes she is going to work as a maid for a wealthy family. Unbeknownst to her, her stepfather sells her to a sex trafficker. Throughout the negotiations, Lakshmi answers questions as though she is being hired as a maid. When Bajai Sita asks Lakshmi if she is willing to “do whatever is asked,” Lakshmi believes she is agreeing to work hard as a maid, whereas Bajai Sita knows Lakshmi will be submitting to life in a brothel.
The Monsoon (Situational Irony)
The village endures a devastating drought and prays for rain. However, when the rain does come, it is incessant and it destroys the family's rice crop. The same elders who prayed for rain now pray for the rain to cease.
Uncle Husband (Verbal and Dramatic Irony)
Uncle Husband, the man who trafficks Lakshmi across the Indian border, warns Lakshmi that people in the city want to "take advantage" of her. This statement is ironic, as both the reader and Uncle Husband know he is the one taking advantage of Lakshmi's youth and innocence.
