Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Sarcastic
Slocum's thoughts are meant to be taken with a hint of irony. He's kind of a funny guy, in fact. Take that time when his daughter threatens to run away, for example. Dude's response? "Sure, go ahead." This isn't quite what his daughter wants to hear, but she's used to remarks like this by now. Slocum claims that she and her brother have a talent for predicting his sarcastic remarks, and they sometimes even beat him to the punch, outfoxing the fox himself.
Something Happened abounds in sarcasm and satire. Slocum's ridiculousness and his vices are exaggerated for comedic effect, but their function is to provide serious commentary. The sarcastic tone cues us in to the way complacency, both at home and in the workplace, have reduced people into subdued atoms simply bobbing along through life. Though Slocum has been conditioned by his world to never say to others the truths that are on his mind, his inner monologue affords us an opportunity to laugh with him at the absurdities in his life.
So just sit back and enjoy the free comedy show. Slocum's humor may be dark and kind of twisted, but it's right on par with that of satire geniuses like Jonathan Swift and Jon Stewart.