Final answer:
The 'cry-smile' is an indirect form of characterization that reveals the parent's deep emotional capacity and kind-hearted nature. It indirectly shows the parent's loving and empathetic personality, strengthening familial bonds through contagious positive expressions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the “cry-smile” greatly enhances the characterization of the speaker's parent, serving as a powerful mechanism for expressing complex emotions. This behavior indicates that the parent experiences emotions deeply and possesses a propensity for expressing a rich blend of feelings, thereby revealing a compassionate and sensitive nature. Through this action, the speaker's father displays traits of empathy and joy, which are often contagious and compelling to those around him, resulting in a strong emotional connection with the child.
Characterization can be conveyed both directly and indirectly. In this case, the father’s “cry-smile” is an indirect form of characterization, allowing readers to infer his kind-hearted and loving personality through his actions rather than direct description. The tendency to smile also promotes positive interactions with others, as is observed with the child smiling and cooing, a behavior that naturally elicits smiles from the parents, strengthening familial bonds as described in the provided reference.