Weighted Structure Analysis (WSA)

Weighted Structural Analysis (WSA) is a diagnostic framework for evaluating narrative architecture through the lens of structural load, stress, redundancy, and failure propagation. Rather than interpreting meaning or reader response, WSA models how narrative components bear responsibility over time and how structural strain accumulates, redistributes, or collapses. The framework formalizes narrative architecture using a small set of variables—component weight (W), applied load (L), stress (S), redundancy (R), and a derived Load-Bearing Instability (LBI) metric—to assess stability across character arcs, thematic cores, dyads, motifs, and other structural elements. Failure is treated not as an aesthetic judgment but as an architectural event with a measurable radius of impact, determined by the interaction of load concentration and redundancy rather than by textual scale or formatting. WSA is intended for: comparative structural analysis of narratives, diagnosis of failure modes (e.g., arc collapse, thematic incoherence, overload), and detection of rising instability prior to visible narrative breakdown. The framework is formatting-independent and operates at the level of structural function rather than paragraph, page, or section units; illustrative literary scales are used only as intuition aids. A worked example demonstrates WSA’s application and the behavior of the LBI metric across narrative progression. WSA complements related structural frameworks (CSA, CSM) within the broader Human-System Coherence Toolkit (HuSCoT), but is fully interpretable as a standalone architectural diagnostic. Version 1.0 defines the core variables, component taxonomy, failure modes, and analysis workflow. Future versions may extend calibration guidance or empirical applications without altering the core model.