Coverdale's self-assuredness (Irony)
It is ironic that Coverdale considers himself an excellent, forthright narrator when his narration becomes increasingly fragmented and suspect as it goes on.
Coverdale's belief that he is a disinterested narrator (Irony)
Coverdale ironically adds at the end of the novel that "I have made a poor and dim figure in my own narrative, establishing no separate interest" (245) when his obsessions, his desires, his bitterness occupy a huge component of the text. We only have Coverdale to take us through these events, and we only have his interpretation of them to work with. He is an outsized part of the book, not a reliable, disassociated narrator.
The name "Blithedale" (Irony)
The mere title of the novel, and community, is ironic: there is nothing "blithe", happy, peaceful, or serene about the events of this text.
Contrast between community ideals and personal behavior (Irony)
There is incredible irony in regards to the professed tenets and ideals of Blithedale, and the personal desires and preoccupations of the characters and the way they behave within their community.
