We Never Meet the Cats (Situational Irony)
Though the story is called "Cat Person" and Robert's stories about his cats are central to his text-message flirtation with Margot, when she finally sees his house, his cats are never present. When they're outside the house, he warns her that he has cats, but when they get to his bedroom, there's no sign of them. The cats are never mentioned for the rest of the scene, even though they have figured so heavily into the earlier parts of the story. This emphasizes how Margot's central mythology about Robert, founded on their flirty text-banter, is totally incongruous with the reality of him that she experiences when they finally have sex. Later, as she's reflecting on the discomfort of their encounter, Margot wonders whether Robert might've even been lying about the cats: "Perhaps she was being unfair to Robert, who had really done nothing wrong, except like her, and be bad in bed, and maybe lie about having cats, although probably they had just been in another room" (22). This, again, shows how little she really knows him: she can't even confirm whether the cats they've joked so much about are real.
Up For A Promotion (Verbal Irony)
"'You're getting better at your job,' told her. 'You managed not to insult me this time.' She shrugged. 'I'm up for a promotion, so,' she said." (3-4)
The second time that Robert comes to the theater where Margot works, he orders Red Vines again. Unlike the first time, she doesn't joke about how Red Vines are typically unpopular. Robert responds by joking, sarcastically, that she seems to have improved her customer service skills by learning not to insult customers' taste in candy. She responds, with equal sarcastic wit, that the change of heart was motivated by a hypothetical future promotion. This sarcastic exchange is an example of verbal irony, as neither party really means exactly what they're saying—they're simply exchanging jokes, in a style of witty banter that will come to characterize their text message exchange.
Thank You For My Presents (Verbal Irony)
After Robert takes Margot to 7-Eleven and buys her Doritos, a Cherry Coke Slurpee, and frog-shaped lighter, she thanks him for her "presents." Of course, she doesn't actually mean to imply that these cheap novelty items are meaningful gifts: rather, this is another example of sarcasm, or verbal irony, that characterizes the way Margot and Robert interact. Often, their banter is basically meaningless, and it's repeatedly noted that they don't really share personal details about their lives. Rather, what matters is their playful tone, flirting by exchanging witty remarks and constantly trying to impress one another. Margot and Robbie both use verbal irony to avoid being serious or vulnerable, deflecting their feelings by joking sarcastically.
We're in Love And Probably Going To Get Married (Verbal and Situational Irony)
"'Why are you texting all the time? Margot's stepdad asked her at dinner. 'Are you having an affair with someone?' 'Yes,' Margot said. 'His name is Robert, and I met him at the movie theatre. We're in love, and we're probably going to get married.'" (6)
Here, Margot and her stepdad both employ verbal irony. When her stepdad jokes about whether she's having an affair, he clearly doesn't mean what he says, because he knows that she isn't married. Likewise, Margot carries on the ironic exchange, telling him that she's in love with Robert—whom her stepdad appears to be hearing about for the first time here—and that they plan to get married. This is a classic example of the way that teenagers and young-adults sometimes use sarcasm to avoid talking about the way that they actually feel: rather than confessing that she has a crush, Margot employs verbal irony to keep her stepdad from prying any further. Additionally, the moment involves an element of situational irony, since Margot unexpectedly confirms that she is, in fact, texting with someone for whom she has romantic feelings—yet this "admission," cloaked as it is in sarcastic verbal irony, in fact puts an end to her stepfather's questioning.
Margot is Underage (Dramatic Irony)
After their date at the depressing Holocaust movie, Margot suggests that Robert take her out for a drink. She wants to go to a student bar where she knows she can get in even though she's under 21, but he rejects this proposition and attempts to take her to a hipper spot, because he doesn't actually know her age. This moment is tense and dramatic for the reader, who, knowing that Margot is really 20, is anxious that she won't get in. This anxiety is confirmed when Margot's fake ID is rejected by the bouncer, leading Robert to finally learn what the reader has known all along: that she's so young, she can't even legally drink.
