Richard Schaukal in Networks and Fields of Modernism

This book discusses the Austrian writer, critic and ministry official Richard Schaukal (1874-1942), who was in contact with a vast number of protagonists of literary modernism. The primary research question in this context is: why did Schaukal not enter the literary canon, although he was in touch with many other contemporary writers, literary critics, publishers and editors? Schaukal was part of a widespread literary network, which actually could have been advantageous for his career as a writer, but wasnt. First, the work focusses on the possibilities and obstacles authors like Schaukal, who wanted to make a living as a writer, had to deal with. The analysis refers to the studies of sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, who investigated the changing social conditions for artists in the late 19th century, and the variable positions of artists in society. Bourdieu used the terms field, capital and habitus to explain the opportunities for success for writers and other artists during the first phase of modernism (ca 1870). An additional theoretical reference point for this work is the network analysis, which helps to individuate Schaukals contacts to literary protagonists, and to define the structure of his network- connections. An important source are the many letters he wrote to and received from different protagonists of this time. One third of all his correspondence was with persons from the literary field. The letters and Schaukals biographical and autobiographical writings show the image of an artist, who was part of the bourgeoisie until World War I, but felt attracted to the aristocratic sphere, and disappeared from the literary public after 1918. One résumé is, that Schaukal had a lot of contacts, but the contacts were not cultivated intensively nor related to the most relevant protagonists of the literary field of modernism. Due to the aggressive tone of his letters and his solitary and distinguished habitus, Schaukal removed himself from the important networks and societal fields of his time.