Mack's Excitement at Media Attention (Situational Irony)
After Julia and George put Ivan's paintings on the freeway billboard, Julia contacts a newspaper journalist. Though Mack is angered by the billboard, he is excited by having a journalist write a story on his mall animals, and grins widely while posing for a photograph with Ruby. Mack's excitement is ironic because he expects a boost to business and doesn't anticipate how the increased public attention will lead to protests that will succeed in pressuring him to shut down his mall circus.
The One and Only Ivan (Verbal Irony)
The novel's title has an ironic double meaning. One on hand, The One and Only Ivan refers to the phrase "one and only," meaning unique and singular, and denotes celebrity status. But the title also speaks to Ivan's isolation as a solitary gorilla in an unnatural habit who has not seen another gorilla in twenty-seven years. Thus, "one and only" refers to Ivan's uniqueness, but also to his loneliness.
Woman in the White Coat (Dramatic Irony)
After protesters decry the mistreatment of Ivan, officials from the zoo come to assess how best to transport him and his fellow captive animals. However, while the reader may understand that Maya is wearing a white coat because she is an expert gorilla handler, Ivan only sees a clinically dressed stranger who represents an ominous sense of change. In an instance of dramatic irony, the reader understands that positive changes are underway for Ivan, while Ivan fears separation from his familiar environment.
Just lucky (Verbal Irony)
After Stella discusses what a zoo is, Bob the dog asks Ivan and Stella why they aren't in a zoo. In an example of verbal irony, Stella smiles sadly and says "Just lucky, I guess." The statement is ironic because it is clear that they are in fact unlucky to have ended up as a mall attraction as opposed to living a relatively freer life in a zoo.
