Fathers and Sons
The relationship between Karamat Lone and his son Eamonn is typical of that existing between a powerful political figure and his offspring. As such, at the moment of greatest conflict within his son, the father becomes the ultimate figure of authority and strength by belittling his son’s own strength and courage. This sets up a sweetly ironic response in which Eamonn’s attempt to prove to his father he is wrong about him takes the form of a publicly released video that humiliates Karamat who just happens to be the British equivalent of America’s Secretary of State.
Sons and Fathers
Eamonn’s enjoyment of the ironic undermining of his father’s vicious attack of his manhood is short-lived, however, because irony piles upon irony. In response to the criticism of Karamat in Eamonn’s video, terrorists target him as a victim with which to demonstrate their displeasure with Karamat’s political agenda. The sins of the father are passed down to the son in a most tragically ironic way.
Parvaiz and Farooq
The dramatic conflict of the novel revolves around the radicalization of Parvaiz Pasha. Once he becomes a full member of ISIS and is exposed to their atrocities, however, Parvaiz decides he wants out. His closest companion—and mentor in the art of radicalization—is the only possible person who could help him escape, but Farooq is completely committed to the cause and the least likely person to assist Parvaiz in his desire to get out. It is ironic that a few weeks later, when the two are sent on a mission to Istanbul purchase media equipment, Farooq makes the decision to leave Parvaiz alone and unattended inside a store, affording Parvaiz his one and very brief opportunity hail a cab and take it to the British consulate. An additional layer of irony is added when Farooq is afforded the opportunity to shoot Parvaiz just before he can make it to sanctuary.
Farooq and Parvaiz
A much lighter type of irony also occurs as a result of the relationship between Farooq and Parvaiz and their distinctly different character attributes. Parvaiz’s radicalization into Islamic extremism is actually the result of his being sensitive and educated. Thus, his ability to engage literary allusion while cracking a joke to Farooq: “So what are we still doing here? Let’s follow the yellow brick road, or is it the White Rabbit who takes us there?” Farooq, on the other hand, has a soldier mentality in which there is no little room figurative language when survival depends upon literal communication. Farooq quite sincerely and seriously responds by asking “What rabbit? What are you talking about rabbits for when I’m trying to tell you something serious.” This inability to detect irony is a common component of the extremist mindset regardless of specific ideology.
Just Joking
A different sort of humor is displayed when another character makes an attempt using irony to be funny. When Eamonn inquires of Isma whether her “turban” is about style or religion, she replies that the only two people in Massachusetts who have commented upon it both wondered whether it was a choice related to religion or chemotherapy. Eamonn attempts to use this opening as an opportunity to demonstrate his mastery of ironic humor by rhetorically asking “Cancer or Islam—which is the greater affliction?” The irony does not even get a chance to fly over Isma’s head before Eamonn realizes that it is easy in the moment to confuse insensitivity with clever ironic humor, but his attempt to apologize merely results in a genuine example of biting sarcasm thrown right back at him that turns into a very long stretch of uncomfortably awkward silence.
