Books in Wuthering Heights

One of the interesting things about Wuthering Heights (1847) is the extent to which books play their part both structurally and thematically. Thus, as well as underlining the marked social differences between the two main households depicted, they help to enlighten us on the mentality of some of the central figures. Notable in this respect are the ways in which the second Catherine (Cathy) uses her love of books to establish her social superiority, especially in her relationship with Hareton, which for a time makes her appear an unpleasant person. Cathy’s bibliophily, moreover, stands in stark contrast with the more or less negative attitudes harboured towards books both by the first Catherine and by Heathcliff. This contrast has, in fact, induced some critics to regard their distaste for books as a positive feature, and to see Cathy’s attempt to teach Hareton to read as a deplorable clipping of his wings. After tracing the multiple ways in which books illuminate the characters of Wuthering Heights and their relationships, this article concludes that, although the novel’s most admired protagonists are notable book-haters, the bibliophile Cathy emerges in the end as a fully sympathetic character.