The irony of the Rumpus job
It's ironic that Strayed took on the unpaid position of an advice columnist for The Rumpus in 2010 thinking it would be fun, but the work has real meaning for her. While Strayed initially thought the work would be enjoyable, she quickly discovered it was more than that — it was a significant method for her to connect with her readers and assist them in overcoming adversity. She could empathize with her readers' problems because they were frequently comparable to her own. Strayed's experiences and knowledge evolved with time, allowing her to provide more nuanced advice to her readers. By the time she got the letters for Part 6, she had reached a new life stage and could offer guidance based on a larger variety of experiences and knowledge. This is what makes it so ironic: she saw the work at first as a fun way to pass the time, but it turned out to be a meaningful experience in which she was able to help people and grow as an individual.
Irony of age
It's ironic that Strayed while being in a different life stage than when she was The Rumpus' Sugar, was able to relate to correspondents of all ages. Strayed had been writing her advice column for The Rumpus for several years, and she had evolved a lot in that time. She'd written the best-selling memoir Wild and had become a mother of two. She was now in a different stage of life than when she began writing her advice column, yet she still found herself relating to her correspondents. Strayed's ability to connect with individuals of all ages and relate with the hardships of others, regardless of her life stage, is highlighted here. It is ironic that even though Strayed had gone through a lot of changes, she could still relate to her correspondents in a very meaningful way.
Irony of priorities
The irony of the difference between The Rumpus and Substack years is that The Rumpus correspondents were focused on personal difficulties, whereas The Substack newsletter correspondents are politically engaged and allude to their ethnicity. This is ironic since, despite the political challenges that have arisen in the recent decade, The Rumpus correspondents were more focused on their problems, implying that political and ethnic issues were not as important to them. In contrast, The Substack newsletter correspondents are more likely to discuss politics and ethnicity in their letters, demonstrating how important these concerns have become in the intervening years. This is a testament to the changing nature of society and the importance of addressing issues of race and politics to move forward.
