The Elderly Man Takes Money From the Thief (Dramatic and Situational Irony)
At the end of the story, "The Thief's Tale," it is revealed that the elderly man who was about to be robbed actually managed to take money from the thief. This is a surprising turn of events as he only managed to avoid being mugged because he doesn't speak English and the thief felt sympathy for him. In this instance of dramatic irony, the narrative reveals that the elderly man actually ended up being the successful thief—not the knife-wielding man who accosted him.
Yohannes Falls Behind Despite Working Constantly (Dramatic Irony)
In "Medallion," the protagonist, Yohannes, is an extremely hard worker and is constantly either doing school work or driving a cab. However, because the university keeps decreasing his financial aid and his boss Bobby is swindling him, he ends up in worse circumstances than when he arrived in America. He eventually has to drop out of school and work full-time, but this does little to give him any more financial security. In this instance of dramatic irony, Yohannes's finances continue to deteriorate even as he takes on more and more work.
Deborah Drowns During a Drought (Situational Irony)
Deborah, the main character in "The Drought That Drowned Us," is killed during a drought. A boatman offers to ferry her and the people in her village across a large body of water. They agree, as they are suffering immensely and hope a move might improve their situation. They are mistaken, as rough waters cause most of them to drown. Deborah is then pushed into the water by the boatman who wants to steal her food. This outcome is surprising in that she expected to die from dehydration in the brutal heat. In this instance of situational irony, Deborah dies in the water while trying to escape a terrible drought.
Manuscript Author Punished by the Same People Who Praised Her (Situational Irony)
In the "Little Manuscript," the author of the first manuscript is harshly rejected for her second manuscript. The government officials who praised her initially decide it paints them in an unflattering way and respond by taking away her awards and critical praise. This situation is absurd in that the second manuscript expresses much of the same sentiment of the first and is merely a celebration of people's freedom to tell the story of Ethiopia. The government reveals its hypocrisy in immediately turning around and rebuking the person they were just celebrating. In this moment of situational irony, the author is cruelly shunned for remaining true to her artistic integrity by the same people who elevated her in the first place.
