The Irony of Reputation
Although Rousseau desires to be recognizes for his accomplishments and virtues, he denies all fault in himself. He's constantly upset when people suspect the worst of him, having heard of his past failures. Unable to escape the great weight of a bad reputation, Rousseau continues to add to it out of resent rather than trying to accomplish some good things or to repay his debts.
The Irony of Apprenticeship
In Rousseau's day, tradecrafts were highly sought-after because they were difficult to master. One worked as an apprentice, essentially a slave, for years in order to become qualifies to start the actual job because the trades are so tedious to learn. When Rousseau leaves his apprenticeship, he demonstrates his inability to perform the craft. He would never have the patience to become an engraver if he cannot even endure his apprenticeship period.
The Irony of Anger
The Count who employs Rousseau has a vile temper. He's easily upset and quite vindictive. When Rousseau learns of this, he immediately does his best to anger the man. It's a self-destructive cycle.
The Irony of Guilt
Rousseau treats himself terribly and feels consumed by guilt for all of his past mistakes, but he is unwilling to make amends and take responsibility for his failures. He only makes himself feel worse by acknowledging the guilt and not doing anything about it.
The Irony of Confession
Throughout the book, Rousseau presents himself as a victim of fortune and slander. He doesn't like his poor reputation or the way that people treat him, but he does not change his poor behavior because of it. The irony of the book is that Rousseau's character is constantly trying to pass himself off as someone better than he is, but the real Rousseau is the one writing those words. The author has titled his book Confessions, having finally learned that he was wrong all that time.
