Chapter six: situational irony

Near the end of the chapter, the poor school teacher who is to be shot at Dresden, Edgar Derby, is reciting a letter to his family.  In this letter he states that, "It (Dresden) will never be bombed.  It is an open city."  This statement is in fact the exact opposite of what is to come.  Even the Englishmen tell the Americans not to worry because Dresden seems like the perfect place to be during the war.  Dresden, in fact, is the worst place to be during the time that the Americans are sent there.  The city of Dresden is described as a wonderfully constructed place with great architecture and sounds too great to be true.  Usually when it sounds too great to be true, it is.