Zoot Suit

Zoot Suit Irony

They Win their Appeal (Situational Irony)

One of the biggest ironies in the play is the fact that the 38th Street Gang ends up winning its appeal, even in the midst of huge rifts in the city. The Zoot Suit Riots have just taken place and things look bleak, but because of the support that has rallied around the gang, they end up winning, even after they thought that was impossible.

Henry's Affair (Dramatic Irony)

Henry confesses his attraction and feelings for Alice while he is in jail. While they resist their feelings of love for one another, they eventually collapse into one another's arms and kiss passionately. Their affair marks an instance of dramatic irony, in that the audience knows about it while the other characters do not.

George speaks Spanish (Situational Irony)

When George Shearer first meets with the members of the 38th Street Gang, they are very skeptical of him and do not trust him to represent their case. However, rather unexpectedly, he begins speaking Spanish, and they feel a lot more trusting of him. While he seems like just another white cop, he turns out to know more about their culture than they had suspected.

Rudy didn't get arrested (Dramatic Irony)

A subtle instance of dramatic irony comes from the fact that Rudy does not get arrested with the rest of the gang, in spite of the fact that he was there on the night of the murder. Henry protects him, a fact that the audience knows about, but the other characters do not.