Mark Accuses Karin (Situational Irony)
Once Mark regains consciousness he says that Karin is not who she says she is. He later elaborates, saying she must be an imposter posing as his sister, working as part of some conspiracy against him. This devastates her, as she has been working tirelessly to care for him, losing her job and moving back to Kearney to do so. In this cruel instance of situational irony, the person who cares about Mark most is the one he is most suspicious of.
Bonnie Takes Care of Karin (Situational Irony)
Karin isn’t particularly fond of Mark’s girlfriend Bonnie. She thinks she is irritating and not very smart. She finds her presence with Mark mostly annoying. However, when she and Daniel break up and she most needs a place to stay, and someone to comfort her, Bonnie helps her out. In this instance of situational irony, Karin finds support from a person she least expects it from and who she held in low regard.
Barbara Isn't Who She Claims to Be (Situational Irony)
At the end of the novel, Barbara reveals that she was actually the one who was on the road that night. She went to Kearney on an assignment about the crane migration. She was wandering the road that night in an attempt to kill herself. Mark swerved out of the way to save her. She stayed in Kearney to make sure he recovered, as she felt indebted to him for saving her life. She is uniquely good at keeping him calm and they form a close bond. This is shattered when she reveals the truth of what happened on North Line Road. In this moment of situational irony, the person who Mark trusts without question is ultimately the true liar and imposter.
Daniel Thinks Barbara Works for the Development Company (Situational Irony)
While fuming about the development at the crane habitat Daniel angrily tells Karin that she shouldn’t speak with Barbara, as he suspects she is working for the development company as a spy. He says she called him a year prior to ask about the crane migration. What actually ends up being true, however, is that Barbara is working for no one but is instead trying to make up for nearly killing Mark. In this example of dramatic irony, Daniel’s suspicion of her is correct, but his guess about who she is ends up being wrong.
