Angel as the Devil
Angel’s irony lies in his name, which he himself points out several times in the novel. The cruel missions and tasks, like cutting off the water supply for an entire city, makes him the Devil instead of Angel.
Lucy’s irony
Lucy is a journalist dedicated to her job so much that she ignores the immediate danger she finds herself in. She left her comfortable life to come to Arizona and report about the misery there and discovers herself to become a part of this environment, desensitized to the suffering and eager to pursue her cause.
Irony of Angel
Angel is the ultimate gray character of the novel. His cruelty in performing the tasks given to him by Case, and his appearance that witnesses to a hard life, are in contrast with his almost childlike naivety. He blindly trusts Lucy and falls into a deadly trap that almost gets him killed, as well as trusting in his boss’s confidence in him.
Irony of the end
The ending could be perceived as either cynical or realistic. Lucy wants to give the water rights to the suffering people but is stopped by Maria who shoots her. At the end the water rights still fall into the greedy hands of those profiting over people’s misery, justifying it by condemning the suffering people.
