What is ironic about the coming of spring and the lessening of the girls’ suffering from the hardships of winter is the fact that while some girls were more free to do whatever they wanted and often got more food than they were accustomed to, others were stuck in bed sick with typhus and were either dying or already dead. This is a clear example of irony. Irony within literature usually means “the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning.” However, even though the moment was ironic we see that it was still tragic by the quote "And I clasped my arms closer round Helen; she seemed dearer to me than ever; I felt as if I could not let her go; I lay with my face hidden on her neck. Presently she said in the sweetest