Jojo's Death (situational irony)
Affected by the Condition, Jojo avoids water his entire life, even resisting bathing and rain. Strangely, he is fearless when it comes to heights and acrobatics, and enjoys showing off for his friends. Despite Big Ammachi and Big Appachen's efforts to keep Jojo safe, he falls in an irrigation ditch and drowns in a shallow pool of water. Jojo's tragic death is ironic, because he survives a tremendous fall only to drown on land, which his family had not even considered a threat.
Digby's and Celeste's Affair (dramatic and situational irony)
Digby falls in love with Celeste upon meeting her but they do not act on their feelings because Celeste is already married. To discredit Digby's testimony, Claude concocts a plan to accuse Digby of having an affair with Celeste, a crime of which he is innocent. It is only when Celeste goes to Digby's house to tell him of Claude's plan that the affair begins, retroactively giving Claude's accusation legitimacy. The timing of Digby and Celeste's affair is ironic, because if Celeste hadn't tried to warn Digby, Claude's accusation would have been false and flimsy.
Philipose's Death (situational irony)
After dropping out of college due to his limited hearing, Philipose refuses to return to Madras, as he considers the city a symbol of his shame and failure. He hides at Parambil and refuses to venture off the property, even when his seclusion creates irreparable tension in his marriage. However, when Philipose finally leaves Parambil and attempts to return to Madras, his train derails and he perishes in the ensuing accident. His death is characterized by several layers of irony. First, Philipose's relationship with Elsie dissolved partly because he would not leave Parambil to support her art, visit her family, or even attend her father's funeral. However, when Philipose realizes Elsie might still be alive, he rushes to Madras to find her without even considering his fears. Second, Philipose's family considers his fears completely irrational, yet the one time he boards a train to leave Parambil, his fears are confirmed by the train accident. Lastly, Philipose survives the initial crash and is able to swim to safety, but when he decides to help a frightened child, he drowns in the process, as if only the Condition could kill him.
Elsie and Philipose's Relationship (situational irony)
Elsie agrees to marry Philipose because she believes he will support her art, which is the most important thing in her life. Though Philipose is initially perturbed that she does not express love and presents a transactional view of their union, he believes that eventually Elsie will fall in love with him after he helps her become an artist. However, after they are married, Philipose systematically dismantles Elsie's affection for him by anxiously trying to support her. He breaks his promise to cut down the plavu tree, interrupts Elsie's work by trying to help her, and refuses to face his fears to support her by traveling to Madras. Ultimately, their marriage ends because even though Philipose thinks he is giving Elsie the space to be an artist, he is actually taking away her dream. Philipose's unintentional self-sabotage is a textbook example of situational irony.
The irony of Elsie and Philipose's relationship is thrown into stark relief when Elsie meets Digby. Elsie and Digby immediately connect romantically. From this mutual love and respect, Digby encourages Elsie's art, and she is able to produce award-winning work. Though with Philipose, Elsie imagined love would follow support, with Digby, support is a natural consequence of love. Ironically, in pursuit of her dreams, Elsie chooses what she believes is practicality over love, though the marriage she chooses in pursuit of her dreams is what inhibits her art.
Joppan's Business (situational irony)
Joppan refuses to accept Philipose's offer of partnership because Joppan believes assuming Shamuel's role perpetuates an unjust system. Instead, Joppan chooses to create and expand his own business and participate in the Communist Party meetings. He highly values worker's rights and labor reform, but when his business fails, his workers strike, and Joppan becomes the villain he attempted to eliminate by breaking the strike. Ironically, Joppan's attempt to break free of an oppressive system forced him to participate in that system. Additionally, when Joppan has no choice but to accept Philipose's reduced offer, he realizes that he enjoys working at Parambil, and later develops his career beyond his wildest imagination by working as Mariamma's surgical assistant.
