Aunt Jean's Judgments (Dramatic Irony)
When Aunt Jean first discovers that her sister's husband is having an affair, she grows judgmental and upset. She encourages her husband, Uncle Ted, to confront Haroon and explain the damage he would cause if he were to continue to pursue a relationship with Eva. Karim finds Aunt Jean's judgments ironic, as he reveals that she, too, has had extramarital affairs while with Uncle Ted. Karim highlights Aunt Jean's hypocrisy, and he doesn't understand why she doesn't approach the situation with more empathy.
The Arranged Marriage (Situational Irony)
After noticing his daughter's radicalism and her potential homosexuality, Anwar begins to take control. In alignment with the traditions he grew up with, he arranges for Jamila to marry someone from India. Anwar imagines Jamila's future husband to be entrepreneurial, family-oriented, and a go-getter. However, his decision comes back to bite him when he meets Changez. Changez is extremely unaware, privileged, and unambitious. When Anwar tries to delegate tasks to Changez in hopes that he will someday take over the family grocery store business, he is shocked by how horrible of an employee he is. In this way, contrary to expectation, Changez makes Anwar's life harder rather than easier.
The Circumstances of Anwar's Death (Situational Irony)
In continuation of the irony of the arranged marriage, the terms of Anwar's death are also situationally ironic. Changez encounters an extremely aggravated Anwar coming towards him, flailing about. Changez fears that Anwar is going to beat him with a cane, and, in an act of self-defense, Changez hits Anwar over the head with a sex toy. Anwar is injured, and he's taken to the hospital where he later dies of a heart attack. Although Anwar's death is tragic, it is also ironic that his most traditional values are the ones that ultimately led him to be killed by a symbol of the morally loose culture from which he had hoped to insulate himself.
Haroon's Cultural Performance (Situational Irony)
When Karim witnesses Haroon leading one of his sessions at Eva's house, he notices some peculiar changes. Haroon takes on a thicker Indian accent, and he dresses in more traditional Indian clothing. Haroon's appearance is ironic, since he's spent decades trying to erase his foreignness in hopes of assimilating into British society. However, Haroon realizes that acting in such a way is more appealing to his clients and thus lucrative for his new business.
