The Circumlocution Office (situational and verbal irony)
The Circumlocution Office is an example of situational irony: the audience's expectation that a government office would be devoted to serving the best interests of the British people is sharply contrasted with the reality of how the Office actually functions. As Arthur and Doyce both discover, the Office exists to give individuals from wealthy families the appearance of having a career, but nothing ever actually gets done. In fact, the Office goes beyond passive inefficiency to actively prevent things like Doyce's invention from moving forward and providing a useful service to the public. Dickens also embeds verbal irony in the name of the Office: "circumlocution" means literally "talking around" or using lots of words in an effort to be vague or confusing. The Office has so many procedures and protocols that nothing ever actually gets done, and the people who work there prefer it that way.
The Father of the Marshalsea (dramatic and verbal irony)
In the first half of the novel, Mr. Dorrit is referred to as the Father of the Marshalsea, which is an example of dramatic irony. For Mr. Dorrit, the nickname is a source of pride and gives him a sense of authority and power. It also shows that he considers himself responsible for being a role model and caregiver to the other prisoners. However, the audience is aware that this is not actually the reality of the situation. Mr. Dorrit has no authority other than the prestige he has gained by acting self-important, and even if he did, it would hardly be impressive to be in charge of a group of powerless and bankrupt convicts. The title is also ironic because Mr. Dorrit is a terrible father to his actual children: he neglects them, prioritizes his own needs, and teaches them bad values. While he is taking pride in thinking of himself as a parental figure, he is not fulfilling any of his responsibilities.
Arthur's Imprisonment (situational irony)
Towards the end of the novel, Arthur Clennam is imprisoned in the Marshalsea because he uses all of his money to take personal responsibility for the financial losses resulting from Merdle's fraud. His imprisonment is an example of situational irony because throughout the novel, the audience has been expecting that Arthur will be juxtaposed against the prison system, rather than being a part of it. In the first half of the novel, Arthur tries to help the Dorrit family because of the freedom he has, and is contrasted with Amy and her family because he has the freedom to do what he wants, and is financially comfortable. The abrupt reversal of his fortunes qualifies as situational irony because, due to Arthur's financial stability and personal integrity, a reader would never have expected that Arthur would end up in prison himself.
"Little" Dorrit (situational and verbal irony)
Amy Dorrit goes by the nicknames of "Little" Dorrit, because she is the youngest child of the Dorrit family, and also because she looks much younger than she actually is. This nickname becomes an example of situational irony because it creates expectations that Amy might be fragile, in need of being cared for, or treated with extra love. However, the reality of Amy's character and life is almost exactly opposed to those assumptions. While she is physically small, she is incredibly responsible, nurturing, and competent; Amy actually serves as the parental figure to both her siblings and her father, as well as to Maggy. She is also in no way given special treatment, and is actually taken for granted and expected to take care of everyone without being thanked or acknowledged.
