Latimer's love for his brother's fiancée
When Latimer meets Bertha Grant, who is engaged to marry his brother Alfred, he fainted out of love and admiration of her. Latimer's father had just introduced Bertha to him and he thought that his son did not know her. It is ironic that Latimer has deep feelings for his brother's fiancee.
Latimer's foreshadow of his death
It is ironic that Latimer has given up on life and is now ready for his death. He says that he will just have enough energy to ring the bell for his servants and he will die right after doing that. The expectation of the reader is that Latimer would want to be alive and that he should not give up but keep working on restoring his mental and physical health.
The demeanor of Latimer's father
It is a situational irony that the demeanor of Latimer's father was never influenced by any events in his life. Latimer says that "..one of those people who are always like themselves from day to day, who are uninfluenced by the weather, and neither know melancholy nor high spirits. I held him in great awe, and appeared more timid and sensitive in his presence than at other times...." This is against the expectations of the readers because most human beings are influenced by the events of their lives and emotions such as anger, joy and jealousy are a result of their reaction to their immediate environment.
The coldness of Latimer's family and friends
As Latimer is foreshadowing his death, he recalls melancholily that his family and friends were unaccepting of him in his life. He says, "I have no near relatives who will make up, by weeping over my grave, for the wounds they inflicted on me when I was among them. It is only the story of my life that will perhaps win a little more sympathy from strangers when I am dead than I ever believed it would obtain from my friends while I was living. " It is ironic that strangers are more empathetic and understanding of Latimer than his family and friends.
The servants at Latimer's house
The servants of Latimer are a maid and a manservant. They are unempathetic towards the plight of their master. Latimer does not depend on them because they are in a love affair which seems to be more important to them than serving their master. Latimer foreshadows that on his deathbed, he will ring his bell for them to come and help him but they will not come because they will be in a lover's quarrel.
