Community
Dr. Homer tries to keep his daughters away from the community they live in but one event makes him realize that he can’t live completely separated from his neighbors. When Homer’s daughters remain stuck on a side of the river while they try to save some puppies, they are helped by one of Homer’s neighbors. This event can be considered as being ironic because Homer is reluctant to let anyone get involved in his life or get to close to his family. Despite this, he is forced in those circumstances to admit that he needs those around him and that he can’t live separated from the community.
Unable to save
When Codi remained pregnant, she decided not to tell anyone, not even her father. Despite this, Homer always knew that is daughter is pregnant even if he didn’t tell her that he knew. When Codi had a miscarriage, she hid it from those around her but her father still knew that she lost the baby. Towards the middle of the novel, it is hinted that Codi had a miscarriage because she didn’t had a proper nutrition which is seen as being ironic considering that Codi’s father was a medic and that he could have easily prevented it if only he had revealed to Codi that he knew about her pregnancy.
Asked to stay
After a girl she was teaching decided to drop out of school because she had gotten pregnant, Codi decides to teach her pupils about birth control and how they can avoid getting pregnant. At first, Codi thinks that the school board will not be happy about her decision of teaching an unpopular subject but she claims that she doesn’t care since she doesn’t plan to stay in Grace and teach for too long. Ironically, her decision to teach the children about birth control is the reason why the school asks Codi to stay and continue teaching.
Talking
The relationship between Codi and her father is described as being distant and none of them wants to make an effort to get close to the other. When Codi discovers that her father may have lied about her family, she begins to pressure him to talk and tell her the truth and he is willing just to do so. Ironically, they are unable to communicate properly because Homer’s condition begins to worsen and he starts to forget even his own daughter.
Involvement
When Codi thinks about her father and sister, she always associates them with the idea of involvement and with the desire to help those around them. Codi thinks that the role of savior fits the rest of her family but not herself and because of this, she believes that she will never be able to make a change. Ironically, Codi’s involvement is what convinces the women from Grace to begin protesting against Black Mountain and to try and make a change. If at first Codi never believed that she will be able to change something, she is soon proven wrong when they attract the attention of the media.
