Narrating the Loser: Theorizing the Role of Characters Within the Narrative Policy Framework
2026-02-10
This paper explores the significance of characters within the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF), addressing the foundational question of their role and purpose in policy narratives. We argue that characters not only serve descriptive functions but are also strategically employed to shape the relationship between policy problems and policy solutions. Through this lens, we identify a gap in the current character typology. While NPF scholarship has established victims, villains, heroes, and beneficiaries as key characters in narratives, we introduce the loser . The loser character is not directly involved in the policy problem but is adversely affected by the policy solution. Our research is guided by three aims: to theorize the purpose of characters, clarify their narrative functions in relation to policy problems and solutions, and formally introduce the loser as a new character archetype.