Irony in Immigration

     Aravind Adiga addresses the issue of immigration in Australia in his novel Amnesty.  The novel has a continuous theme of irony, based on the maltreatment of immigrants from people who were originally immigrants to the country themselves.  He exaggerates this by creating “Honest Danny” who always ultimately ends up doing the right thing because his heart is in the right place.  Honesty and amnesty do not go hand-in-hand, though, evoking sympathy from the reader and clear connection with the ironic policies connected to becoming a legal citizen in new nations. 

    “Honest Danny” left Sri Lanka to find work and happiness in a new nation.  He left Sri Lanka in what he saw as the honest and right way, via a plane and a visa, but these things show that he must not have been truly struggling in Sri Lanka, as he had the money to afford a plane ticket (Adiga 171).  He had an option of coming over on a boat that he refused because he found it too “brazenly illegal” (Adiga 169), which draws on the first bit of irony he saw as someone seeking refuge in a new nation.  He aimed to do the ‘right thing’ from the moment he arrived in Australia but was told that the honest way is truly not the best way.  Discussing this forces the reader to question their own perception of how they view immigration policy and just wishing people would come into the nation the ‘right way.’  Danny shows that the right way is not truly the morally best way, but he never relents on his morals. 

    Danny remains an honest man but is continually reminded that this is not a just world.  He, fortunately, found happiness in Australia, with a girlfriend and a very low paying job, but nothing near what he deserved for the strength of his moral compass.  He displays exemplary character by reporting Prakash to the police for the murder of Radha, and after he does this he finds what he already knew—that bad things still happen continually to good people.  After he reported the murder, he thinks about all the honest people who died in a tsunami in 2004, but all the rich, disgusting people survived (Adiga 247).  This is a direct parallel with Danny to show how horrifyingly simple the irony of the unjust immigration laws are, as they simply perpetuate the idea that bad things happen to good people.  There is no consideration of the moral conduct or passion that an immigrant may have for remaining in a nation.

    There are circumstances that go far past simple guidelines and checkboxes of who should be allowed to stay in a nation, as a refugee, immigrant, or citizen, which must be considered for the betterment of countries as a whole.  Danny contributed to different aspects of Australian society, including the economy, and ultimately, the criminal justice system.  He was not, however, awarded with justice himself.  Nations must consider how ironic their policies are related to immigration laws, as at a base level it does not consider the fact that most of the people enforcing these laws are descendants of people who were once immigrants, who then harmed the people who were not.  At another level, immigration laws do not truly consider circumstances or the characters of people who have been working to act righteously in the dark, working hard to maintain invisibility.  Adiga shows clearly that there are immigration reforms needed, and he works through irony to evoke compassion from readers and motivate them to push for reform.


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