Irony of Aggression
Henry Taylor, anxious to go West to kill Indians like the fictional characters he admires, has no idea what killing means or what his supposed enemies are like, never having met one. The first Indian he meets is a calm, relaxed man. Despite his size and strength, and despite the fact that the boys have taken refuge in his home and bed, Winuca bears them no ill will and treats them as guests. Henry is nonetheless terrified by Winuca. The encounter cures Henry of any aggression toward a group of people that has not done anything to him, but Henry’s irrational terror is ironic given his loud aggression of the day before.
Irony of Dishonesty
By impulsively running away with all the money he and Philip earned by performing, leaving the teenaged boy to pay the debts related to the performance, “Professor Lorenzo Riccabocca” loses the opportunity to ever collaborate with Philip again. Philip, who shows common sense far beyond what is ordinary for a young man his age, refuses to trust someone who has cheated him without first seeing evidence that he has changed. So although “Riccabocca” succeeds, at first, in stealing more than sixty dollars’ worth of Philip’s money plus the expenses of the show, he was in a position to earn the same amount, or more, performing with Philip in other towns had he only paid their expenses and evenly divided the proceeds as he initially promised to do.
Irony of Theft
Zeke accepts ten cents to deliver a message from Philip to Frank after Philip is captured and held prisoner by Zeke’s father. He also accepts five cents from Frank for delivering the same message, which is a mildly dishonest thing to do as he had already been paid. That night, as he sleeps, Zeke leaves one coin in each pocket. Having heard a noise, his mother looks around to see what the noise is but finds her son sleeping. She goes through his pockets, finds the dime, and takes it, believing it to be hers. She therefore suspects Zeke of stealing from her. Zeke avoids trouble for much of what he actually does, such as torturing a dog and stirring up animosity, but ends up in trouble for something he does not actually do.
Irony of Manipulation
Squire Pope, who fancies himself a sophisticated and wise man, is easily manipulated by Nick Holden, who convinces him to try to take Philip’s violin away, and by Joe Tucker, who uses flattery to forestall an investigation into whether the residents in the Tucker almshouse are being mistreated.
Irony of Frugality
The Tuckers, particularly Mrs. Tucker, are miserly and cruel. They withhold food and drink from the people they are paid to support, and do not spend the allotment from the village that they receive. However their stinginess is a factor that makes them willing to keep Philip a prisoner against his will. As long as he is incarcerated in the village almshouse, the Tuckers will receive a stipend for his support. But it is the decision to imprison a person who is not actually destitute that results in Philip's escape and to Tucker being hit in the face by Henry's fastball.
