The irony of self
The irony of self is that although the term "self-esteem" seems private and singular, it is actually shaped by one's experience of their external reality. The self is ironic in other ways, because Walker's experience of self goes so far beyond race that to be judged by her skin color alone is surprising, given the sublime, spiritual nature of her 'self.' In other words, it is ironic to be judged for something that doesn't matter in the spiritual scheme of things. She views these ironies as signals that she should use her voice to clarify these issues, taking MLK as her heroic example.
The irony of political dysfunction
Political dysfunction matters deeply in communities, although politics seems far removed from daily life, because political opinion shapes the way people view the world, and also because political opinions widely held influence the laws that shape real life for people in communities. For Walker, there is another serious irony, the ironic effects of America's history of racism and slavery that extend into the present. They are ironic to many because those issues seem solved, but they shaped the outcome of the present and are continuing to shape life for Black Americans.
Racial injustice
This leads to a discussion of racial injustice, which is ironic, because a person might be complicit in the system that perpetuates racial injustice without knowing it. In other words, there is a difference between a person's active participation in the disenfranchisement of minorities and a passive participation. The passive participation is when people are not educated about the current issues facing other communities besides their own. Without hearing the voices from other communities and trusting their opinion of life, systemic injustice is perpetuated by the grandfathering effects of law. In other words, change is needed, and it is unjust to say, "It's working just fine," just because one might not have a negative experience of the system.
The nuclear problem
Walker mentions the nuclear problem, which might seem jarring in the context of the essay, but she does it to question the assumptions of modernism. She is asking the question, "Does the future just automatically get better, or do we have to steer it?" because many have elected to sit by while technology makes daily life more comfortable. Her point is that, ironically, sitting by and doing nothing might manifest a bad future. She even invokes the Hindu theology of Karma to make her point.
Judgment and paradise
The title stands in contrast to the thrust of these essays. The title invokes a theme of paradise, like hanging out with one's mother in a paradise (because gardens are symbols of paradise in folklore from around the globe, especially Christianity). The idea invoked has an ironic implication, that perhaps we are being continually judged for the way we participate in our community. Although the connection is explained through essays, the connection between one's religious obligations and one's civic obligations are not obvious until one considers social justice.
