He Had Turned a Deep and Undeniable Brown (Situational Irony)
In the opening sentence of The Last White Man, Hamid writes that "Anders, a white man, woke up to find he had turned a deep and undeniable brown." In this instance of situational irony, a man who has always had pale skin wakes one morning to discover that he has transformed into a dark-skinned person. Unable to process the surreal change, Anders initially assumes his own limbs belong to someone else who has climbed into bed with him. But soon enough, he will be forced to assimilate the bizarre fact that he is among the first in society to change color.
So Healthy it Could Kill a Person (Verbal Irony)
Concerned for her mother's health, Oona makes sure to prepare for her high-fiber, nutrient-dense breakfasts. When her mother sees the bowl of overnight oats with berries, she remarks, "It's so healthy it could kill a person." Oona replies, "That's the plan." In this instance of verbal irony, Oona's mother speaks of the healthy food as though it is so healthy that it could have the opposite of its intended effect. Oona replies with her own verbal irony, pretending to say that she is trying to kill her mother by providing nourishing food.
The Dark Man and the White Man Were the Same (Situational Irony)
As more people change color, there is a rise in suicides, and the local news reports on the story of a man who shoots himself in front of his own house. Because the neighbors don't recognize the dead dark-skinned man on the porch, they assume he is a home invader, shot in self-defense. It isn't until the "experts" discover the man's belongings that they conclude that "a white man had indeed shot a dark man, but also that the dark man and the white man were the same." In this instance of situational irony, the man's appearance has changed so significantly that his suicide is assumed to be a confrontation between two men that turned violent.
Oona's Brother's Ex (Situational Irony)
Late in the novel, Oona goes to renew her driver's license. When the man behind the counter scrutinizes her old license and says her name aloud, she assumes that he is trying to determine if she is actually the person she claims to be. However, in an instance of situational irony, it turns out that the man is her twin brother's former lover, and he has recognized her only because of her name. Had the man not read her license closely, they would never have realized their connection.
