Packing for the Journery (Dramatic Irony)
Before leaving on the journey to the concentration camps, the Italian prisoners pack up all their luggage. These belongings consist of all their worldly possessions, but they do not know that upon arrival at the camps, they will be stripped of everything they have. This is an example of dramatic irony.
Good Fortune (Verbal Irony)
At the beginning of the Author's Preface, Levi states that it was his "good fortune to be deported to Auschwitz only in 1944." The reason for this is that the Nazis have decided to extend the average lifespan of prisoners, though these prisoners were regardless eventually destined for elimination. While part of Levi's statement can be read literally, its polite and formal language also comes across as dry sarcasm. Clearly, being sent to a death camp is not an example of good fortune. This is an example of verbal irony.
Elias (Situational Irony)
Contrary to the majority of prisoners, Elias is someone who appears to thrive in the environment of the camp. His physical strength allows him to withstand the work, and his abnormal mental state keeps him from internal annihilation. Due to the absurdity of rules in the Lager, Elias hardly works despite his physical strength. The reason is that those in charge grant him privileges. Levi states that in the outside world, Elias would be a criminal or would be institutionalized, but he does well in the conditions of the camp. This is an example of situational irony.
The March (Situational Irony)
Towards the end of the book, Levi describes how all the healthy prisoners were made to evacuate the camp. The sick ones, including Levi, were left behind to their deaths, it was thought. However, the only survivors were those who remained at the camp because the so-called evacuation march was actually a death march. This is an example of situational irony.
