Toward a Unified Theory of Narrative and Character Design: Role–Self Distance, Interpersonal Misalignment, and Reader Inference

This work presents a unified structural theory of narrative and character design that integrates five traditionally separate domains: narrative theory, creative writing, screenwriting, dramaturgy, and character theory. The framework explains how narrative depth, dramatic tension, and character richness emerge from systematically structured gaps along three axes: (1) Role–Self Distance, the misalignment between a character’s social role and internal value system; (2) Interpersonal Misalignment, the divergence between characters’ mutual interpretations; and (3) Inference Load, the amount and type of inferential work required from the reader. Incorporating reviewer feedback, the revised version clarifies the cognitive subcomponents of inference (causal, affective, and social), distinguishes between automatic and deliberate inference processes, and situates cultural variability within a three-layer model (deep cognitive mechanisms, middle-layer cultural norms, and surface-layer genre conventions). This model emphasizes that cross-national differences represent historical snapshots rather than fixed cultural constants, allowing the theory to accommodate cultural evolution and media change. The paper further extends the framework through three appendices. Appendix A provides philosophical grounding by linking narrative distance to questions of personal identity, phenomenology, and the epistemic limits of self-knowledge. Appendix B examines ethical considerations for AI-driven narrative generation, including risks related to persuasive design, cultural bias, and transparency. Appendix C analyzes cultural evolution and explains how global media circulation and AI-generated narratives may reshape preferred ranges of narrative distance. By integrating structural analysis, cognitive science, cultural theory, and computational considerations, this unified theory offers a comprehensive foundation for analyzing existing narratives and designing new ones across media, cultures, and technological contexts.