In his introduction, Polti claims to be continuing the work of Carlo Gozzi (1720–1806), who also identified 36 situations.
This list was published in a book of the same name, which contains extended explanations and examples.
The list was popularized as an aid for writers, but is also used by dramatists, storytellers and others.
It influenced Christina Stead and George Pierce Baker, the author of Dramatic Technique.
[4] The 36 situations have been critiqued as being "concatenations of events rather than minimal or isolable motifs".