Reports of violence in school’s news bulletins
Under normal circumstances, children are supposed to be kept away from anything related to violence. However, in the novel Trespasses, Kennedy draws readers' attention when young seven-year-old children are briefed on daily violent news in the community. For instance, one of the pieces of news presented before the children read, "The Protestant Action Force has claimed responsibility for the shooting deaths of two men in a bar in the New Lodge area." The reader finds this ironic because such news is horrific and threatens young children. Children should be shielded from horror news to ensure they are not affected mentally.
The Irony of Christianity
Christians share a lot because they read the same Bible and worship one universal God. Consequently, Christians are expected to live in harmony with each other. Ironically, the Christians in Garrison Town are split into Catholics and Protestants who treat each other as enemies. For instance, the Protestant men who regularly come to Cushla's family pub are loudmouthed and proud of ridiculing their fellow Catholic men. The ridicule and mistreatment of the Catholic men at the pub are paradoxical because all these people are Christians who are expected to love one another.
