Pretending Not To See Things (Dramatic Irony)
Lorde as a child is legally blind; however, her mother, who has normal vision, chooses not to see things that are inherent in their living situation. She refuses to let the children see that they are poor and she not only refuses to let her children see the racism that affects their daily lives but also refuses to see it herself, which is why she takes her children to a "whites only" ice cream counter. Later in life, she chooses not to see that Lorde is a lesbian. This metaphorical "blindness" is an example of dramatic irony, because readers (and Audre Lorde herself) come to see these things clearly, while Lorde's mother does not.
Being Rich (Dramatic Irony)
As a child Lorde can only see her mother's sacrifices and the things that they have as children, which has her conclude, "It was this that made me decide as a child we must be rich" (18). Of course, the family is not rich, and Linda is making sacrifices for her children in order to give them basic comforts.
Race in America (Situational Irony)
After the situation at the D.C. ice cream counter, Lorde rages, "This wasn't right or fair! Hadn't I written poems about Bataan and freedom and democracy for all?" (70). The irony of this is deep; the U.S. does pride itself on, and enshrines in its foundational documents, principles of democracy and freedom, yet has never been willing to offer them to all people, especially Black people. As a child, Lorde has not yet come to see the bitter irony in her situation as a Black American.
Lorde's Age (Verbal Irony)
Lorde tells people in the Village that she is 35 years old, not in her early twenties, to try and seem more mature and in control of herself. At the New Year's gathering, she remarks wryly to herself, "Everybody knew a thirty-five-year-old woman could run any world, and I considered myself to be permanently in practice" (193). She knows she isn't 35, but she is taking a moment to acknowledge the situation she has put herself in.
