Read the following passage:
the tension around me every day made things really tough.
it was bad enough that my dad was so far away for so
long. but while he was off in the jungles of vietnam
fighting for some elusive principles, people at home were
angry and unsupportive. i wanted to be proud of my dad,
but i couldn't understand what he was fighting for. or
against. if i could just grab ahold of that shadow, maybe i
could see things from his perspective. but it always
slipped away.
what is one way the author's word choice contributes to the tone of this
passage?