The Irony of Phyl's Lack of Empathy
Phyllisia pays little to no attention to Edith's personal struggles after she drops out of school. Edith is caring for her family while her father is ill, but he still dies. Although Phyl extends no empathy to Edith during this challenging time, she soon benefits from Edith's empathy when her own parent dies. Phyllisia is forced to experience the very thing which she couldn't imagine suffering.
The Irony of Mrs. Cathy's Beauty
Mrs. Cathy is beloved by her husband because, as he openly states, she is the most beautiful. She is the one, however, who attempts to teach Phyllisia that beauty is a trick. Because Phyl so desperately craves her father's approval, she's accepted his false narrative about the value of beauty. Mrs. Cathy steps in, as a beautiful person, to enlighten her daughter about the deceptive and fleeting nature of physical beauty.
The Irony of Phyl's Friendship with Marian
Originally, Phyl makes friends with Edith because she loves the approval she receives from Edith and her sisters. She appreciates how she feels encouraged after visiting them. When she's on her own again after Edith drops out of school, however, Phyl becomes friends with the popular girl, Marian. With Marian, she experiences the polar opposite -- insecurity, criticism, and snobbery. Phyl jumps from an affirming friendship right into an unhealthy one, although she's still hoping to receive Marian's approval.
The Irony of Phyl's Power of Her Father
Phyllisia and Calvin have a complicated relationship. They each possess something which the other desperately wants and abuse each other because of it. Phyl desires her father's approval. He wants her respect. By the time Phyl is in high school, she's learned to use her father's insecurity to predict how he will respond to certain stimulus. She influences the opinions of Calvin's friends in order to manipulate him by proxy into doing what she wants for the family. This ironically makes her embody the very insecurity which Calvin denies -- powerlessness.
The Irony of Edith's Friendship
Edith is the one person Phyllisia detests most in school, probably because she sits right across from her. Phyl cannot stand how dirty and drab and poor Edith looks all the time, holding these attributes against her classmate's character. When Edith is the only one to defend Phyl against bullies, however, she demonstrates the true worth of her character. Phyl is forced to admit that Edith is actually a really wonderful friend.
