Big Shug's Affair With Joanie (Dramatic Irony)
While out "roaming" the streets of Glasgow in his taxi, Big Shug reflects on his attraction to women other than his wife, Agnes. When he hears Joanie calling out dispatches on the CB radio, Shug thinks of her voice as comforting. It isn't until the end of the chapter that Stuart reveals Shug is ending his shift by picking up Joanie from the dispatch center, where he eagerly and happily waits for her in his taxi. In this instance of dramatic irony, the reader knows before Agnes or their children that Big Shug is in love with Joanie and plans to leave his family. The moment of revelation injects tension into the story as the reader waits for his affair to come to light.
Agnes Told Big Shug She Would Abandon Her Children (Dramatic Irony)
When packing to leave Lizzie and Wullie's apartment for the house in Pithead, Agnes reflects on the last time she packed her suitcases. She had been leaving Brendan McGowan to start a new life with Big Shug. However, she brought her children Catherine and Leek with her, despite having led Shug to believe she would leave them behind. Shug takes the last-minute change of plans as a betrayal and complains about the difficulty of having abandoned his four children to be with Agnes. In this instance of dramatic irony, the reader learns that Big Shug had never wanted to be a father to Catherine and Leek, who are oblivious to the fact that they were nearly left with Brendan, a man they have almost no memories of.
Big Shug Leaves Agnes in Pithead (Situational Irony)
Although Big Shug leads Agnes to believe he agreed to rent the house in Pithead as a step up in life for their family, after moving his wife and children in, he reveals that he is leaving her for another woman. In this instance of situational irony, Shug dramatically undermines Agnes's expectations by betraying her trust and making a spectacle of her abandonment.
Leek Attacked a Watchman (Dramatic Irony)
In another instance of dramatic irony, Leek defends himself against the "watchie" who catches him stealing copper wire by hitting the man in the head with a crowbar. After the man goes to the hospital, the police search for the assailant, coming to Agnes's door. Agnes is ignorant of Leek's involvement, and so sends the police on their way. Only Shuggie, Leek, and the reader know that Leek is guilty of the crime and could face jail time if discovered.
