Question

Which line from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close reveals a sentimental tone?
I couldn’t sleep, not after hours, and it made my boots lighter to be around his things, and to touch stuff that he had touched, and to make the hangers hang a little straighter, even though I knew it didn’t matter.
His tuxedo was over the chair he used to sit on when he tied his shoes, and I thought, Weird. Why wasn’t it hung up with his suits?
Had he come from a fancy party the night before he died? But then why would he have taken off his tuxedo without hanging it up? Maybe it needed to be cleaned? But I didn’t remember a fancy party.
If I hadn’t noticed anything else weird, I wouldn’t have thought about the tuxedo again. But I started noticing a lot.

Answer 1

The first sentence: "I couldn’t sleep, not after hours, and it made my boots lighter to be around his things, and to touch stuff that he had touched, and to make the hangers hang a little straighter, even though I knew it didn’t matter."

Why: phrases like "made my boots lighter" and "to touch stuff that he had touched" show longing, comfort in small personal details, and emotional attachment—classic markers of a sentimental tone.