A Handful of Dust

The tone of the writing in this piece is clearly sarcastic and mocking; however, the language is not. The author uses the direct quotes and descriptions of the characters to define the sense of absurdity that is prevalent throughout every chapter. For example, Brenda gets emotional in a conversation about the fact that the chiropractor will not have a session with Marjorie's dog, but coldly tells Tony not to brood every time he brings up their failing marriage.