Stolen Car (Situational Irony)
At the beginning of the film, The Woman puts her child inside the car out front of a wealthy family's home and leaves. But in an instance of situational irony, thieves steal the car, removing the child from a potentially affluent life and abandoning him in an alley in a poverty-stricken neighborhood.
Return to the Mansion (Dramatic Irony)
After reconsidering, The Woman goes back to the car where she left her child in order to get him back. However, she learns that the car she left her son in was stolen, so the family never took the child in. In this instance of dramatic irony, the audience knows the child is safe with The Tramp while The Woman faints out of despair.
Gas Meter (Situational Irony)
Living together happily but without much money, The Tramp and The Kid use a coin to activate their gas meter and get the stove lit. After inserting the coin, The Kid pulls the catcher out to retrieve the coin so they can use it again. In this instance of situational irony, Chaplin depicts one of the small ways The Kid and The Tramp have learned to outsmart the system in order to survive.
Windows (Dramatic Irony)
To support his modest lifestyle, The Tramp works as a glazier, replacing broken windows for families in his area. However, the families are unaware that The Tramp sends John to first break people's windows with rocks so that The Tramp will have work. In this instance of dramatic irony, the audience sees The Kid and The Tramp conning people with a scheme that ensures they always have business.
