The irony of the Rules
From a working-class background, Katey infiltrates the elite social circle by acting and behaving accordingly. She adopts ways of conducting herself to appear cultured and sophisticated akin to the affluent folks. Katey mentions George Washington’s “Rules of Civility” as a manual on meeting Tinker, not aware that he incorporates it. She asserts “Then I told him about discovering Washington’s Rules of Civility and what a numbskull I had been in not realizing that it was Tinker’s playbook.” She later discovers that Tinker is just like her in that he does not come from old money and is role-playing too.
Irony of Romance
The narrative revolves around the interrelationship between the three main characters Katey, Eve, and Tinker. Moreover, the love triangle that forms between them is the source of many dramatic ironies in the plot. Katey and Tinker decide to forego their feelings for Eve to end up with Tinker after the accident. Later, Eve rejects his marriage proposal and proceeds to leave him. Katey rekindling his relationship with Tinker fails as she learns some truths that she cannot reconcile.
Irony of Youth
The novel opens with an elderly Katey reflecting on his younger years and the decisions she made at the time. She acknowledges that these years are crucial in making the choices that will change and shape our lives forever. As young people with no clue of the truths about life, they choose to pursue lifestyles and relationships that stick it out. Even though the youth are incompetent to make such choices they have to make them since life will crystallize any loss.
The irony of Upward Mobility
Katey embodies the idea that the upper echelons are supposed to act and conduct themselves in a certain manner. During her stint with the affluent, she finds those coming from old money are quite the opposite, for instance, Wallace. Katey and her friends follow the path of upward mobility but gradually find out the pretense that exists within. Both her and Eve, view Tinker as the epitome of civility and affluence not knowing that he is putting a front too.
