Emily Bronte's 1847 masterpiece of English literature, Wuthering Heights, is a very deep and complex book that cannot simply be classified as a love story since there is no traditional happy ending for the primary characters and the heroine dies halfway through the book. This book is such a classic because Bronte has the ability to transform characters feelings onto the paper like no one else can. One important theme that relates to most of the characters in Wuthering Heights is that of books and the role they play throughout the story. There is no simple response to this question since the answer differs with each individual character. It is evident, though, that books are very important to the various relationships encountered in this story and that they can be interpreted in many different ways.

The first incident in which books play a role in this story is also one of the most powerful scenes in the entire book. It occurs when Mr. Lockwood has determined that he must stay the night at Wuthering Heights, his landlord's estate. Heathcliff's servant, Zillah, shows Mr. Lockwood to his room and cautions him to "hide his candle and not make a noise" since Heathcliff would not willi

ngly approve of his staying in that room. Just after Mr. Lockwood enters the room, he discovers three names carved over and over onto the ledge near the window, Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Heathcliff, and Catherine Linton. Mr. Lockwood begins paging through and examining the collection of books he determines to be Catherine's. The books, he notices, have been well used judging from their

Another example of the role books play in Wuthering Heights is the scene where the second Catherine and Linton get in a fight. Linton has asked Cathy to spend more time with him whenever Heathcliff is hunting on the moors. Linton then tells her that she will love him more than she loves her father, therefore they should get married. This angers Catherine who replies, "No! I should never love anybody better than Papa." Linton then took it one step too far by adding, "Your mother hated your father: now then." This enrages Cathy who, in her passion, "gave the chair a violent push, and caused him to fall against one arm." This puts the sickly Linton in a coughing fit, which caused Cathy to forget her anger and feel sorry for the boy. Cathy is about to leave when her cousin throws a tantrum and demands that Cathy keep seeing him. In the weeks that follow, Cathy goes to Wuthering Heights daily to visit Linton. They talk and walk into the moors and rekindle their relationship by reading books.

In the novel, as a whole, books are generally portrayed as good, although the opposite is also apparent in places. Likewise, illiterate characters, such as Hareton, are portrayed to be evil. Throughout his childhood, Hareton was shielded from education hence he grows up miserable and mean. When he beg

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Approximate Word count = 1147
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)