Accepting change
In the first chapter of the book, Mrs. Lafirme presents herself as being against every type of change that may come to the area where she lives. When she saw the railway tracks, she made it clear she was not going to accept them. In the second chapter, the narrator presents events taking place a year later. Then, Mrs. Lafirme is not only happy to accept change but ironically, she gets involved directly onto those changes, facilitating them and profiting from them.
A new grown
In the sixth chapter, after Hosmer returns to his sister from his walk in the woods, he is asked if he notices anything different at her. Hosmer looks at her and, not wanting to be criticized for not noticing, he mentions a dress which he thinks it is new. Ironically, not only is this not true, but his answer only made his sister even angrier at him.
Religion doesn't influence me
Soon after finding that Hosmer was married before and got divorce, Mrs. Lafirme thinks about him and the possibility of them being together. Mrs. Lafirme is clearly affected by the knowledge of Hosmer’s divorce and the narrator admits that Mrs. Lafirme’s religious upbringing influenced her in this matter. When Hosmer confronts her about this however, she refuses to admit that religion played a part in the way she was thinking about him and their future relationship. This is however ironic because it is true that religion did influence Mrs. Lafirme and her decisions.
Love can bring unhappiness
When Hosmer talks about his first wife, he describes her as a wonderful person, someone capable of making any man happy. During the first years of their marriage, Hosmer was happy together with his wife and everything was as it should. In time, their relationship changed and Hosmer became unhappier than he was ever before in his life. This is ironic especially considering how happy he was in the beginning.
You are a coward
After Hoster tells Mrs. Lafirme about the life he used to have with his former wife, he expected to be understood and for Mrs. Lafirme to accept his decision of divorcing his wife. This did not take place because ironically, instead of being compassionate, Mrs. Lafirme criticizes and calls Hosmer a coward for leaving his wife who could have needed him. This is ironic especially considering how Mrs. Lafirme was fond of Hosmer and by sending him back to his wife she was ruining every change she got to be with him.
