The Irony of Life
The irony of life is one aspect the reader cannot shy away from. Ung's family is introduced as affluent and privileged. Ung's father is a high ranking government official, and he affords to give his family all the luxuries they need. For instance, Ung and her siblings can comfortably shop in high-end markets in the city. Ironically, life takes an opposite trajectory when Rouge's brutal army takes over the city. Ung becomes a child soldier when her family flees, and her sibling is sent to labor camps.
The satire of Ung as a child soldier
The satire of Khmer Rouge’s army considering to train Ung as a child soldier is because she is brilliant academically. Ironically, bright children are trained as soldiers to go and fight with adults instead of coming up with strategies to help such children become vital leaders in the future. Therefore, Rouge's army is brutal, and it intends to destroy the lives of children.
The irony of Pol Pot
The intentions of Pol Pot in capturing Cambodia are satirical. Instead of thinking about improving the city and making people his followers, he is out for revenge and people he is supposed to lead start to flee. Additionally, he engages in awkward theatrics such as training young children as soldiers. Luckily, his army is defeated towards the end, and Ung reunites with her siblings.
The irony of Ung’s father
Ung's father is a satirical character. Ung's character annoys her mother because she does not behave like a girl. Additionally, Ung is a stubborn girl who always makes trouble with her siblings. On the contrary, her father loves her because she is brilliant, and he does not care about her bad behavior.
