What ironies do the characters display in "Once Upon a Time"?
The massive central irony in this tale lies in the way in which the father and the mother think they are taking various measures to protect themselves and their son from harm, whereas what they are actually are doing is nothing more than threatening their own lives and the life of their son and perpetuating the fear and unrest that exists in their homeland. Note the following quote that explains how this process operates:
But every week there were more reports of intrusion: in broad daylight and the dead of night, in the early hours of the morning, and even in the lovely summer twilight—a certain family was at dinner while the bedrooms were being ransacked upstairs.
The fear of attacks, robbery and murder therefore prompts white settlers to invest in ever more technical and expensive safety equipment that fundamentally changes their lives as open houses are turned into gated...
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communities that are locked away from everybody else. The way in which the ultimate security answer--the dragons teeth--promises total protection whilst resulting in the probable death of their son makes the irony that Gordimer is pointing out clear.
What is the irony in "Once Upon a Time"?
The irony in this story relates to the fact that the barbed wire that kills the couple's young son was installed to protect the family from the perceived threat of intruders. That which was meant to keep them safe actually creates the biggest danger.
The family described in this story has everything going for them. They are financially secure and happy. Instead of the proverbial white picket fence, however, they install a high wall and electronic gates. This is done in response to fears of the riots, crime, and violence that tended to prevail in South African communities during Apartheid, when Black people were only allowed into areas where white people lived if they could prove by means of a pass that they were employed there. It was by taking every precaution to protect themselves and their possessions that the family set in action the chain of events that would lead to their son's death.
It is the family's attempt to protect what they have that leads to their ultimate tragedy. If they had not installed the barbed wire fence and other extensive security measures in response to threats and recent events, such as their neighbors' domestic worker being attacked by thieves, they would not have lost their son in this tragic manner.