The ironic father
A father is a natural symbol for provision, for teaching a child about life, about their own nature, and about what to do with one's time on earth. That's why an abusive father is an ironic inhibition in life, because the father who hates their child teaches that child that life itself hates them, that their time is not worth much, that their own worth is low. Poor Gertrude must overcome the hurdles that her father placed in her way instead of receiving an inheritance or blessing.
Gertrude's dislikability
Because her mind has been harmed by the poor instruction of her father, she is set in psychological modes that are not becoming. She believes people are basically like her father, and so she resents others and is afraid of them. She is also chronically fearful of being trapped by someone else's beliefs about her, so she becomes dislikable and must learn why one should try to be sociable. People are a liability to her, not an asset.
The timeliness of religion
For Gertrude, religion wasn't about believing what she was supposed to. She was just desperate for an approach to life that actually worked, having been inhibited by her father's opinions. She finds Trueman's religion to be practical, because when she does virtuous things, she is rewarded for it with joy and freedom. She realizes that religion might be a solution to her problems, even though her character is one that kicks against authority systems.
The irony of self-love
Of course, the dramatic irony that fills the first portion of the book is that Gertrude thinks that her father stole something crucial from herself, but ironically, she would never have gotten that essential 'something' from him anyway. What she has longed for most is the thing she must learn to give herself. Self-love and approval. She must accept herself, forgive herself, understand herself, and become a fan of herself, and her father can't stop her from that. No one can stop her in that regard.
The irony of joy
Given the suffering she endures, one might think there is almost nothing to be joyful about, but on the contrary, she decides to become a helper of her community, lending her suffering servitude to others, empathizing deeply with them, and before long, her whole identity comes to fruition. As she blossoms, she receives the ultimate reward, one that she never imagined she could actually attain: she becomes joyful.
