What is an example of irony in the novel, Amal Unbound?

Amal’s young perspective lends itself to dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when readers know something a character does not. Though Amal initially struggles to understand mature concepts like sexism and politics in her country, older readers can. For example, Amal wonders why Mehnaz discourages her from spending time with Omar, but knowledgeable readers understand that gender politics in Pakistan complicate relationships between pubescent males and females. Similarly, Amal fails to recognize Jawad Sahib when she encounters him in Nabay Chak’s market. However, attentive readers will interpret his shiny car, coiffed appearance, and confidence as indications of his wealth and superiority. These details distinguish the man from everyone else in Amal’s village, indicating that he is likely Jawad Sahib. Numerous onlookers fail to defend Amal, which suggest their fear of the man who confronts her and therefore provides additional evidence about his identity. Amal remains ignorant to these adult-mediated experiences because they introduce mature concepts into her young life. When Mehnaz’s depression and Jawad’s indentured servitude force Amal to confront issues of sexism and power, readers experience a drastic transition in her narrative perspective. She suddenly leaps from ignorance to experience because she now endures these problems first-hand. Amal abruptly transitions from misunderstanding central themes from the novel to living them. This shift emphasizes the significance of these mature issues because, as a child, Amal should not comprehend them.