The paradox of the Spectrum Hall Academy
The Spectrum Hall Academy is a penal institution for children. Instead of helping the children become better people in society, the institution jails them and subjects them to more misery. Kester finds himself captive in Spectrum Hall Academy, and he ends up suffering instead of getting help.
The satire of varmints
The varmints are among the few animals that survived the red-eye plague aimed at eliminating all animals from the face of the earth. The varmints are considered useless animals. Ironically, varmints and cockroaches gang up together and save Kester from the academy. The irony in this context is that varmints prove that they are not useless because they have the ability to trick the administrators of Spectrum Hall Academy.
The irony of Kester’s father
Kester is taken to the academy after the death of his mother because he could not speak. After Kester is saved from prison, he starts a journey to search for his father, who is a scientist. The paradox is that the son does the act of looking for his father. In a perfect world the father should look for his son, but he does not seem to care at all.
