THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HABITUS AND CAPITAL IN THE NOVELLA CYCLE FLORENTINE NIGHTS BY HEINRICH HEINE

Abstract

Heinrich Heine’s Florentine Nights (1836), one of his most critically neglected literary works, has primarily been interpreted as an allegory of contemporary German society, often analyzed through the lenses of psychoanalysis and gender studies. The lack of a sociological reading has led to the exclusion of key aspects essential for a comprehensive understanding of this novella cycle, reducing its interpretation to a more superficial level.
This paper aims to examine crucial elements of Heine’s work, particularly concerning the characterization and relationships between characters. Employing Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework from the sociology of literature, the analysis reveals that concepts such as habitus and capital play a crucial role in the private sphere of intersubjectivity, particularly in gender dynamics, while also exerting a significant influence in the broader social field of culture and art. Maximilian, the novella cycle’s main character, establishes a distinctive praxis of domination, rooted in various forms of capital superiority. His embodied capital strengthens his role as a social and art critic, while his social and economic capital grant him access to and influence within the cultural field. The female characters, by contrast, occupy subordinate roles within his self-centered narrative universe, which enables him to maintain control and objectify them, limiting their ability to assert themselves, reclaim power, and resist symbolic domination.