Not so preoccupied by the fate of the species
The narrator claims that everyone was interested in the fate of the species and preoccupied by solving the problem concerning the infertility everyone had to deal with. Ironically however, he also mentions how the population stopped having sex, not believing that they can change anything. In an effort to try and convince the population to become intimate, the government set up pornographic shops all over the country but without any result.
The beginning of the end
The day on which the last man to be born died was on the first day of a New Year. Thus, instead of marking the beginning of something new and hopefully something better, the day marked the death of the youngest person on earth. This element is ironic because something that was supposed to make people feel hopeful made them feel worst and made them question the fate of their species even more.
Did not died like a hero
The last man to be born was hailed as being a hero by the rest of the population. They considered him as representing hope for the rest of the humanity and many people were interested in his personal life and in the way he lived his life. Considering all this, it is ironic to find that instead of dying like a hero, the last man to be born died during a bar fight. It is also hinted that his life was not extraordinary at all and that he did not accomplished anything worth mentioning.
Not caring about life
A reader may be inclined to believe that considering the situation in which the world found itself in, the people still alive would be more careful not to injure the reaming humans and not to cause them harm. A person may also be inclined to believe that humans in general would have more respect towards life. Ironically, this is not true as many characters are not careful in preserving life and what is even worst do not feel remorse when they are the reason why someone died. This is proven to be true in Theo’s case who killed his daughter and who claimed not to feel any type of remorse whatsoever.
Stealing to live
Another ironic element is the idea that while Theo’s relatives were rich and owned the country, he and his family barely had enough money to live from one day to another. Theo mentions how he was forced to steal on more than one occasion while also mentioning the opulence in which the rest of his family lived. This element is also presented as being ironic.
