Irony of the Tranquilium place
It is ironic how the guests at the Tranquilium place aren’t allowed to bring anything in from the outside world, including electronics and snacks, while Masha’s office is equipped with the newest technology and has snacks, cigarettes and alcohol hidden in her cabinet. She preaches emotional and physical cleansing while being unable to let go of the vices she is so committed to turn her guests/students against.
Irony of Jessica’s face
With the introduction of Ben and Jessica, we are made to believe that Jessica is the fake and superficial person in their marriage, but as the novel progresses and Jessica’s side of the story is revealed, it becomes clear that Ben is the one who is superficial and doesn’t see past the external shell. Jessica sees her surgical enhancements just as an improvement of herself that doesn’t affect her character, while Ben is unable to look past her face and see the person she is.
Situational irony - getting locked up in the meditation room
The group of nine strangers wake up after their drug-induced meditation to find themselves locked with no way out. The involvement of drugs has been hinted at throughout with Masha and Yao’s conversations, but the locking up gives their situation a new level of fright and unease. This sudden turn of events in the novel is unexpected and falls into situational irony.
Situational irony - Masha had another son
At the end of the novel, it is revealed that after her first-born died tragically, Masha gave birth to another son, whom she immediately gave to his father and didn’t want to be a mother. The father is shown holding Masha’s grandchild while watching her on the TV, and deciding to send her a photo. This is unexpected as it was previously shown that Masha’s trauma and her decision to become the eccentric leader of the resort was caused by the loss of her son and family, and it creates a situational irony.
