"Oh great. David again." (Verbal Irony)
When Shay brings up David after she and Tally play a prank on the new cohort of uglies, Tally says: "Oh great. David again." This is an example of verbal irony because Tally is not actually pleased that Shay has brought up David another time. She is, in fact, tired of discussing him, and his controversial opinions, and hopes to make this clear to Shay by making a sarcastic comment.
The Pretty Operation (Situational Irony)
Pretties seem to have everything: they are heart-stoppingly beautiful, their bodies have been altered to resist disease, they can spend all their time pursuing leisure activities, and they have everything provided for them. Uglies spend their whole lives waiting for the moment they will finally become a pretty, convinced that once they do, all their problems will cease. The pretty operation is an example of situational irony because it is supposedly in their best interest—the alterations will provide them an evolutionary edge—but in fact, it impairs brain functioning, leaving pretties greatly handicapped.
White Tiger Orchids (Situational Irony)
The white tiger orchids were considered the most beautiful flower in the world during Rusty times. However, due to humankind's genetic intervention, their growth became too hearty and they spread too far. The irony here is that white tiger orchids used to enhance the beauty of the landscape, but now they snuff out all other ecological life, leaving their natural environment barren, ugly, and dead.
"You can trust me." (Dramatic Irony)
When David hesitates to tell Shay that he grew up in the Smoke and has never actually lived in the city, Tally says: "You can trust me." David believes her, which is ironic because the reader knows that Tally is there to betray the Smoke to Special Circumstances. She is the last person David should trust.
