The Irony of “he loved her” - Chapter one
Cronin expounds, “He loved her, he was sorry, nothing like that would happen again, ever. He swore it. Not to her and not to Amy. And in the end, she heard herself saying she was sorry too.” Reynold’s affirmation about loving Jeanette is ironic considering that he makes it after assaulting her. He invokes love to blind her so that she would recognize the implication of the domestic violence. If Reynolds had unreservedly loved her, he would not hit her.
The Irony of Lear requesting Paul’s prayers - Chapter two
Lear writes, “I know that science is your god, Paul but would it too much to ask for you to pray for us? All of us." This request is ironic considering that Paul believes in science more than God. If Pauls was a believer, then the request would be logical. The ironic request underscores the inherent danger which Lear and the reaming colleagues are facing. They have lost hope in science. Coming close to death reminds Lear about the existence of God, who should be called upon to help them.
