In the 19th century, the literary universe we know today took shape - a field detached from state institutions and academies. Decisions about what should be written and the rules of good taste can no longer be made by a ruling authority; recognition and validation arise from the positional struggles within the literary field among authors, critics, and editors. Using Flaubert's "Education of the Heart" as an example, Pierre Bourdieu reconstructs the social genesis and structure of the literary field. Flaubert's aesthetic project unfolds precisely at the time when the enforcement of the autonomy of art enters its decisive phase. Bourdieu illustrates what Flaubert's work owes to the constitution of the literary field, as well as to the various movements, schools, and authors of the era.