Paul's Poor Vision (Situational Irony)
There is striking irony in the fact that Paul has terrible eyesight and yet is an acute observer of everything happening around him. Though Paul has trouble seeing anything at all without his glasses and is deemed legally blind, he is the one character that seems to understand every other character. He’s also the one who sees the trouble brewing beneath the surface of his community.
The False Hero (Situational Irony)
It is ironic that the hero of the football team for most of the novel turns out to be violent and cruel with no personal integrity. While Erik is showered with attention throughout the novel, he turns out to be a thief who has a hand in killing a man.
The Perfection of Lake Windsor Downs (Situational Irony)
While Lake Windsor Downs is place that has been designed to look perfect, it has been built on piles of burned tangerine trees, covered in sand. Paul’s mother works hard at trying to make everything look right in Lake Windsor Downs, but the housing development is riddled with flaws.
The Erik Fisher Football Dream (Dramatic Irony)
Throughout the novel, Paul mentions “the Erik Fisher football dream.” This is a reference to the ambitions of both Erik and the rest of the family to see Erik become a football star. Ironically, Erik turns out to be a violent and cruel person and thief and he ruins his own chance at his football dream.
