Return to Reality (Situational Irony)
From the beginning of the book, Gerald narrates how he would create a better zoo if he ran one. His dream expands and accelerates as the book goes on, until he is imagining the fully stocked McGrew zoo open to an astonished public. However, on the final page, Seuss contrasts that fantastical image of McGrew Zoo with an illustration of Gerald still standing before the zookeeper at his boring local zoo. In this instance of situational irony, Gerald's roaming imagination is brought back to reality with the reminder that he is merely a boy speculating on what a better zoo might look like.
The Zookeeper Seems Proud (Situational Irony)
On the first page of the book, Gerald looks up at the contented zookeeper and comments that the man "seems proud" of his zoo. However, the man's pride is ironic given that Gerald finds the modest zoo to be dull. From this point on, Gerald imagines a zoo that would be truly worthy of pride.
