Treacle Walker

Treacle Walker Irony

Joe's good eye (Situational Irony)

After Treacle Walker's visit, Joe's good eye gains the "glamourie," a quality that Joe at first wants to get rid of because it makes him confused and frustrated. Ironically, the eye that he previously thought was his good one becomes the eye that he calls "wonky" while struggling with his newfound magical abilities. However, he later accepts the "glamourie," and realizes that the eye can also serve him well—leading to another ironic reversal, where the good eye that became the "wonky" one becomes, once more, an asset.

"Such macaronics" (Verbal and Situational Irony)

Treacle Walker tells Joe that everything around them is "macaronic," meaning it is a mixture of elements and words (or, in this case, Treacle Walker implies that events themselves are macaronic) from other languages or circumstances. The irony here is that it is mostly Treacle Walker's own language that is truly macaronic; he frequently speaks Latin and makes up words, combining obsolete, Medieval, and Scottish words into a macaronic style of speech.

Joe's visit to the optometrist (Dramatic Irony)

When Joe goes to the optometrist, he believes that there is something wrong with his eye. The reader, however, has benefitted from the story's strong foreshadowing and implied hints that Joe's sight is not actually impaired. Rather, he has gained a magical second sight—a fact that Joe only later accepts as true. It is also ironic that the "good eye" is the one that the optometrist finds fault with, since it is through his supposedly "good eye" that Joe sees the extra letters and lines of text during his test.

Thin Amren's sleep (Situational Irony)

When Thin Amren exits the bog, he puts his body at risk of decaying, and thus, risks his life. However, he does not want to sleep and return to the bog. He does not realize, ironically, that his desire to live and leave the bog will cause his death.