Dramatic Irony: Hagar's "Independence"
Hagar intends to display her independence and self-reliance by running away; however, everybody else regards her escapade as evidence of her incompetence. It is also this act of escaping that is what lands Hagar in the most restrictive setting yet: the hospital.
Dramatic Irony: Undermining Oneself Through Marriage
When Hagar got married, she believed she would become someone important and well-respected. This did not happen. Hagar's husband Bram Shipley was not highly regarded and as a married woman, her identity was subsumed by that of her husband. She ends up having to sell eggs and work as a housekeeper—a lower-class type of job—in order to achieve independence from Bram.
Dramatic Irony: Hagar Endangering Herself by Trying to Avoid Death
Hagar fears death. Avoiding the nursing home and all its implications of dying is the main reason why she runs away from Marvin and Doris and holes up in the abandoned cannery. Yet by escaping from her family and the care of doctors, Hagar exposes herself to the elements and puts herself at risk of serious illness or death.
Dramatic Irony: The Less Favored Son Being More Favorable
Hagar has two sons and has always preferred the younger one, John, while her relationship with Marvin is more distant. When she separates from her husband, she brings John with her and hopes he will take after her father rather than Bram. But John eventually returns to Bram and goes against Hagar's advice in every way. It ends up being her less favored son, Marvin, who is more successful and shows her the greatest love and loyalty.
