BABIES, BATHWATER AND THE STUDY OF LITERATURE

Although many scholars in literature currently seem mainly interested in theory, the focus on literary texts is what defines literature stud ies. Computer technology and the statistical methods it fosters are ap plicable to both the theoretical and to the interpretative issues whic h scholars of literature habitually address. Genette's distinction bet ween the homodiegetic and the autodiegetic perspective in first-person narrative can be confirmed statistically. Roquentin's loneliness in L a nausee can be shown to be a formal characteristic of the type of nov el he narrates, thus validating his commentary on his society. The com puter can be used to deal with standard literary questions in a princi pled fashion, and a new orientation of literature studies on a cultura l history model, which Mark Olsen recommends, is not necessary.