snarl
This word verges on onomotopoeia, and it refers to a gutteral noise that is more sharp than a growl.
groped
"Groped" means to be inappropriately felt, but the use of it conjures an attempted debasement that is referred to from a place of emotional distance.
factual
When an account is told factually, the exact details matter so much that the speaker provides them in order, directly.
composed
People are composed when they control their manners and appearances, even if the information that is new to them is shocking.
level
A level inflection is one without emphasis; in effect, someone with a level tone says certain words yet does not show emotion connected to them.
jolt
A jolt is a surprising bump or disturbance.
disengagement
Disengagement is the process through which someone becomes less intertwined with the people or institutions that once made up a pivotal part of their life.
deep, quiet irony
This mode of delivery shows how the other characters are shocked and hurt by Martin's new priorities. There is nothing he can do to rectify the situation unless he chooses to forego his love, or what he views as love. Because he does not choose to do so, his oft-professed willingness to explain cuts his wife Stevie to the bone.
