"The Glass Roses" by Alden Nowlan: Literary Exploration.

There are various conflicts in the story, "The Glass Roses", though the main and most significant one being of an internal conflict within the protagonist, Stephen, a "willowy fifteen-year-old" working in the pulp woods. The internal conflict occurs between his desires to fulfill his childhood dreams and those to become a "man". Stephen is heavily influenced by his father, and longs to be like the other workers with their "ox-like shoulders", but also does not …

…Polack" as a character foil to Stephan's father. The two characters are then used to help influence Stephan and resolve the conflict. There is one main form of irony in the story, that being where Stephan longs to be like his father, a grown man, but wants to keep his "childish" ideals and values as well. This is an example of attitudinal irony because it occurs in the character's thoughts and feelings; the character's attitude.