Irony of Belief in Tribal Traditions
Mark’s father kept an almost fanatical but deeply naïve faith that eventually apartheid would come to and end and that the tribal traditions of his youth would once again come into vogue. He believed in this so deeply that he even mocked his son’s efforts at studying remarking that western education would become useless once tribal traditions came back to the fore. It is highly ironic therefore that it was their tribal traditions that kept native south Africans in the stone age. Tribal rivalries and feuds kept the African Nation divided and thus easily conquered.
Irony of Oppression as a tool for pacification
The apartheid system is a ruthless system of social segregation is it was intended to create an oppressive environment for second-class citizens, which in this case would mean black South Africans. It was intentionally designed to be oppressive to keep the black South African populace weak and docile, however it achieved the opposite as it eventually became the spark that lit the fuse of revolution.
Irony of Mark’s punishment in school
Young Mark is constantly being punished for not having a complete uniform, books, or fully paid school fees because of his poverty. These infractions he is punished for are matters that are hardly his fault as his mother, their family’s primary breadwinner, cannot get a decent paying job because she is a single mother and she is black--both socio-economic hurdles artificially created by the apartheid system.
Irony of Mark ending up at the top 1% of his class
The author-protagonist is clearly a gifted person and it is terribly unfortunate that he is not given more support despite his clear aptitude for both academics and athletics. Despite all the set backs however he still makes it to the top of his class.
Irony of Mark’s Matric Failure
The author-protagonist encounters a major set back when he fails his matric, a prerequisite exam before heading to college. When he inquires about his test results he is shocked to learn that he only failed one subject, ironically, a language test in his native dialect, Venda. The examination committee however deem it sufficient enough a failure to deny him entry into a black college in South Africa.
