I would say the author uses irony in this passage that remembering his mother makes him not happy but miserable which may be the opposite of what is expected but he would rather suffer this than be happy in forgetting her as this latter feeling would be expected to make him sad.
Bananas grow curved towards the sun…
Yay science :(
It's an example of allusion, because it alludes to the language in the Emancipation Proclamation.
They practice empathy.
They smile often.
They are intuitive of other people's needs.
They mind their manners.
They put others first
They are patient -- even when they don't feel like it.
They apologize -- but only when warranted.
