Fiela se kind

One example of irony (dramatic irony) can be found in Selling Komoetie's crime and how he was sentenced to hard labor. For most of his years of imprisonment, Selling was working with the other convicts to build a road through the mountains, connecting Knysna and the Long Kloof. This is ironic because Selling participated in the construction of the very road that would later allow for the census men to come to Wolwekraal and take Benjamin, ruining the Komoeties' lives. However, this fact also casts doubt on the story of Benjamin making it to Fiela's doorstep from the forest as a three-year-old, as he supposedly arrived at the Long Kloof before the road was even finished.

For more examples of irony in the novel, check out GradeSaver's "Irony" page, which is readily available in its Study Guide for the unit.