Kathleen Furin argues that depicting characters crying often disconnects readers from the story. She explains that tears can feel passive, unearned, or manipulative, shifting the reader's focus to comforting the character rather than feeling empathy. Instead, Furin suggests exploring deeper emotions, using unique coping mechanisms, or focusing on symbolic images to evoke authentic responses. She notes that tears may be effective only if the narrative has built sufficient emotional weight to make them feel earned.
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