The irony of the government
The author depicts the Sir Lankan government in the 1980s as a paradoxical entity that does the contrary to its citizens. Instead of the government protecting its people, it subjects them to suffering. Ironically, the photo shot by Maali showing a government minister watching people being slaughtered and their houses torched is an absurdity. The government minister is happy with the sad happenings instead of mobilizing resources to help the suffering citizens.
The Irony of Maali’s death
The novel takes an interesting twist when it shows Maali's decisions when he is dead. One day, Maali wakes up dead and what he sees is devastating. Ironically, in his death, he still has a chance to meet Jak and his cousin because he wants them to take his photos from under his bed and share them throughout Colombo. The irony in this context is that Maali is dead, but he still wants to communicate with the living and direct them on what to do to expose the Sri Lankan conflict to the world.
The paradox of Maali’s confidence
One of the most dangerous jobs in Sri Lank during conflict is covering the violence and exposing the government as the main cause. Maali knows that many journalists are kidnapped and killed by the government. Similarly, any activist trying to portray the government negatively is killed. Ironically, Maali is not scared of death, and he decides to put his life at risk to expose the conflict. Consequently, the reader is surprised that Maali is not scared of death.
