Boo saving Jem and Scout (situational and dramatic irony)
Throughout the film, Jem and Scout view Arthur/“Boo” as the threatening, reclusive monster down the street. Their obsession with him eventually fades after the thunderous trial begins to consume Jem and Scout’s preoccupations and time. So, when Arthur ends up saving the children from Ewell, the scene is infused with situational irony: the reclusive, supposedly menacing subject of their naive imaginations is the last person audiences—and the children—would expect to save anyone and become their guardian angel. This situational irony highlights one of the more significant ideas of the film: assumptions about a person shouldn’t be formed without getting to know them or considering their point of view first.
Jem and Scout’s tolerance (situational irony)
Jem and Scout generally don’t uphold any hateful ideologies or racial intolerance. They treat Calpurnia with respect, resent the jury’s hateful verdict of Tom’s case, and integrate themselves with the black community by watching the trial with them in the balcony. Their inclusive, anti-racist actions juxtapose with many of the adults of the film, such as Ewell or the members of the lynch mob, who are fueled by grotesque, flagrant racism. Ironically, Jem and Scout—two children—show more maturity and wisdom in their understanding of race than their elders. Such situational irony illustrates how a moral education is necessary to instill messages of social inequality and inclusion onto children at an early age, or else they run the risk of accepting the bigotry of their surrounding environment (and turning into monsters of human beings in turn).
Scout saying, “My teacher got mad as the devil at me and said you were teaching me to read all wrong, and to stop it” (situational irony)
Scout’s teacher accuses her of not knowing how to read properly, although we have already seen her read quite well with Atticus earlier in the film. Blaming Atticus for incorrectly teaching Scout is ironic, as Atticus is a highly intelligent lawyer who is more than capable and qualified to teach his daughter how to read. The teacher also ironically wishes Scout's lessons with Atticus to stop, as opposed to nurturing her abilities and encouraging her to continue her active pursuit of knowledge via literature. Limiting a student’s exposure to material and learning essentially defies the mission and purposes of educators.
Bob Ewell as a threat (situational irony)
As the major antagonist of the film, Bob Ewell threatens Atticus and his children on multiple occasions, and nearly succeeds in killing Jem and Scout in the final act. As a thoroughly insignificant member of the Maycomb community (both in terms of the social hierarchy and contributing to any kind of social progress), it is ironic that Ewell poses such a threat to the Finch family and Tom. The only reason why he holds any influence at all in Maycomb is because of his race, which permits him to prosecute someone lower than the social hierarchy than him: Tom.
