This literary approach holds that human nature is essentially unchanging. The same passions, emotions, and even situations are seen again and again throughout human history. It follows that continuity in literature is more important and significant than innovation. In addition, this approach presumes that good literature is of timeless significance; it somehow transcends the limitations and peculiarities of the age it was written in and thereby speaks to what is constant in human nature. Lastly, this theory is the foundation of New Criticism or Formalist theory.