The irony of spiritualism
Spiritualism is a kind of dramatic irony, because it implies that there are spiritual forces lying just underneath the surface of reality that most people don't see. The fact that young Azaro does see them adds a level of drama to his life that is nearly unbearable without family or community support, but how can they support him in experiences of reality that are past what they can see? The boy is afflicted by dramatic irony, and the situational irony that arises because of his point of view is also considerable. For instance, people treat him like he is responsible for his spiritualism.
The vote of confidence
Azaro's family give him an ironic "vote of confidence" by placing his body in a casket to soon be buried. He comes back from a lengthy spiritual episode, categorized by fugue states and a "departure of his soul," and then arrives back in his body to find that his parents had decided he probably wasn't coming back. They are about to bury him when he wakes up. The irony here underscores Azaro's resilience through a "rebirth" that has nothing to do with his parents support; they aren't supportive at all. They abandon him to death.
The angry father
As if he is the victim of Azaro's spiritual insight, Azaro's father often gets upset and beats him, often drunkenly. The father's anger is completely ironic, because it drives him to behavior that is often literally self-defeating. In order to forget about his money problems, he spends all his money, often on alcohol which is the last thing he needs. The anger of the father is also misplaced. He feels deep injustices, and although he might have reasons to be angry, he never quite figures out what they might be. He often assigns the anger to other people and situations that have nothing to do with his situation.
The desperation of poverty
Madame Koto's bar provides Azaro a method for understanding his poverty more. He sees that there are people who gain wealth by keeping his family and community poor (dramatic irony), and he realizes that the intense suffering caused by poverty often causes psychological desperation like that of his father which makes him spend money frivolously. Basically, he is just rejecting the constant panic about money in a binge/purge cycle that keeps the family poor.
The fighting hero
The family's fate turns around when Azaro's father decides that he just likes fighting. Azaro cannot fight back well enough for the father to gain skill, so instead, Azaro summons ghosts and devils for the father to fight. The father is transformed from an abusive man into a hero for the community. He often fights demons that afflict the community in unseen ways. He is a hero because he takes his dangerous qualities and uses them in a productive way.
