Historical Literature

      Franco Moretti's article, "Graphs, Maps, Trees," shows the benefits along with the drawbacks of the approaches of literature. The approaches are the different ways that literature can be established and viewed. He uses graphs to show the correlation of a quality between the different years. In addition, Moretti touches on the topics of novels and their prices, the different genres mentioned (epistolary, gothic, historical, etc.), and preferences that different genders might attribute to in the history of the novel.

      Moretti displays hard evidence in his writing where he shows graphs and maps. This is where his evidence comes into play and the statements he makes, he can prove. Literature can interpret as a historical phenomenon dealing with issues such as lifespan and politics. For instance, an issue was debated about the duration of time that a certain genre was "in" that points out the question, "why so short-lived?...because of politics again" (pg 84). Politics had seized the existence of it causing it to diminish and decrease in lifespan. History in terms had greatly influenced the whole purpose of how the advances of literature changed over time. Based on our knowledge and clear understanding, we can conclude that as time progresses, there are different aspects that influence the rate at the graphs showing the different genres range.  

      I believe that the drawback of this approach to literature is the aspect that it is not entirely a formal way of writing or a piece of evident work. In addition, the downside would be if a certain category in literature would survive. An example would be any chosen genre. The only way to keep a genre alive is when people keep reading it continuously because "Books survive if they are read and disappear if they aren't" (pg 82) due to lack of interest.

      I propose that the other interdisciplinary projects can combine with literature in a way where it can pronounce the meaning it has such as how to read a chart or the graphs and maps mentioned. The trees in this aspect would be the material used to make the maps and graphs that one uses for his or her own gain and purposes.

      Gary Shteyngart's SSTLS does in fact approach to the fact where history deeply embeds in the story as a whole. The act of reading was different in the story. People would "read" a text by scanning it for information. Most of the conversations done are by verballing to each other through the apparats. In literature, texts are suppose to be read and analyzed by the reader based on his or her own way of understanding the text that they have engaged in.