Discussions with Jeffery (Verbal Irony)
Charlie and Jeffery often use verbal irony when talking to each other, as they use hyperbolic insults when debating a topic. For example, Jeffery tells Charlie, “Charles, you are the very essence of stupidity,” during a debate about the merits of Batman. Even though the words are harsh, the insult does not offend Charlie because he knows his friend is using verbal irony.
Bombing in Vietnam (Dramatic Irony)
When Charlie learns that Jeffery’s family has been killed in a bombing in Vietnam, he is surprised that there isn’t mention of it on the news that night. Readers who have background information on the war in Vietnam would know that many of the atrocities of the war were kept from Americans and Australians alike. Charlie was expecting protests and riots because it was the closest the violence ever got to him, but he doesn’t realize that the violence was much more commonplace, and often more atrocious, than he knows.
Charlie's Aspirations (Verbal Irony)
When Jasper tried to convince Charlie to become a part of the "investigation," Charlie claims that they will never be able to find who killed Laura because they are not capable enough. Ironically, while trying to convince himself that they can’t do it, Charlie was imagining ways he could solve the crime and how he will be compared to his literary heroes. When he says that they can't do it, he really means that they should try to do it.
Self-Blame (Dramatic Irony)
Eliza and Jasper both blame themselves for Laura's death. This is a natural extension of their grief, and it is a notion that neither completely abandons, even after they learn the truth of the abuse Laura was suffering at the hands of Mr. Wishart. The reader knows that it was Mr. Wishart who deserves all the blame for what happened to Laura and that children can't be expected to save themselves from situations that are so heinous.
