Delia's Response to Sykes' Prank (Situational Irony)
"Some day Ah'm gointuh drop dead from some of yo' foolishness." (1022)
When Sykes plays a prank on Delia with his bull whip, pretending it is a snake, Delia responds with the above statement which proves tremendously ironic. She tells him that some day she will die of his foolishness, but in fact it is Sykes who accidentally kills himself with his own foolishness when he leaves a poisonous snake for Delia and is bitten by it instead.
Delia's Allusion to the Bible (Verbal Irony)
"Don't think Ah'm gointuh be run 'way fum mah house neither. Ah'm goin' tuh de white folks about you, mah young man, de very nex' time you lay yo' han's on me. Mah cup is done run ovah." (1028)
In this passage, Delia alludes to a famous phrase from Psalm 23:5 of the Bible: "My cup runneth over." This is clearly an ironic allusion as the original phrase alludes to a blessed state of abundance, where one's cup runs over from being too full. Here, Delia uses it sarcastically to say that she is full up on Sykes' abuse.
Sykes' Insistence that the Snake will not Bite Him (Situational Irony)
"He wouldn't bite me cause Ah knows how tuh handle 'im. Nohow he wouldn't risk breakin' out his fangs 'gin 'yo skinny laigs." (1026)
Here, Sykes arrogantly insists that the snake he has brought home will not bite him, because he is a master snake handler. Of course, this is pure exaggeration, and an example of situational irony because in the end the snake does bite him, just as it would anyone else.
Sykes' Hopeful Call to Delia (Situational Irony)
"As she approached the door she heard him call out hopefully, 'Delia, is dat you Ah heah?'" (1030)
At no point in the story has Sykes greeted Delia's presence with positive feeling. It is therefore an example of irony that as a consequence of trying to kill Delia by leaving a snake in her laundry hamper, he is suddenly extremely hopeful that Delia will arrive and help him.
