In the essay on the Marxist critique of Wuthering Heights, it was really interesting to me how Eagleton uses the laws of inheritance of the time (I.e. Hindley's being in line to inherit everything, and Catherine's expected inheritance of nothing) to show why Catherine and Heathcliff formed such a strong bond in the beginning. He, as an uneducated foreigner and she, as the younger sister of the heir, were both outsiders to the Heights. As a small child, Catherine had no concern as to how she would be provided for in the future, and so formed the attachment that she wanted to form, not one that would benefit her in the long run. It was interesting to me, because we've talked about how Catherine's need for financial security dictated her decision making later in life, but this fact shows that the same lack of future financial security leads to there even being a choice. Had Catherine never formed the close emotional relationship to Heathcliff, then she would have no hesitancy in choosing Linton.

The essay on cultural criticism was a little more confusing. Armstrong seems to suggest, in several places, that Charlotte Bronte attempted to make Wuthering Heights more socially accepted by attempting to prove that her sister was unaffected by the surrounding culture when she wrote it. Emily had "'a secret power and fire' ... that came strictly from within" (430). Describing her sister this way allows for the novel to be read in a sort of cultural vacuum, since there's very little possibility that someone who rarely ventured into the world could make the cultural connections. I think that Armstrong is implying that Charlotte made these claims about Emily in an effort to shield her novel from critics, and that the claims are not actually true.

The inclusion of the first two letters following the novel give a little more insight as to why Catherine Earnshaw chose to marry Edgar Linton instead of Heathcliff, aside from her simply being a semi-miserable human being. Because men held so much power over women, and essentially were in charge of their finances and standing in society, Edgar was the better choice for marriage. Catherine tells Nelly that one of the main reasons she loves Linton and wants to marry him is because he loves her. His love for her gives her some reassurance that she will be treated well. She believes that he will not leave her for another, or mistreat her, and will provide for her and their offspring. Judging from the fact tthat his rewinds to her giant temper tantrum is to propose, we can assume that there isn't much he won't put up with from her.

Heathcliff, on the other hand, is an unknown entity. His temper is so volatile, that Catherine cannot be assured of his continued affection for and patience with her. He also at the beginning of the story, has nothing to offer her but his possibly fading love. Since Hinley is the heir to their father's estate, Catherine has no real assurance of continued fortune. Edgar offers her stability and security, both in love and money. Later, we do see that his love for Catherine has not faded, so she may have misjudged him on that. However, given how the unrequited nature of his love has twisted it and him into an ugly, vengeful thing, we also believe that she made the right decision on spouses.

Because women had so little power, Catherine asserts hers in the only way she can: she chooses the husband who will guarantee her a secure future. Edgar is capable of the kind of unselfish love that was rare, and for which Heathcliff does not have the capacity. This love of Edgar's gives Catherine the peace of Mind that she will be taken care of no matter what, as will her offspring.

Wuthering Heights is already a very intriguing story for me. I think part of that stems from the fact that so many people have presented it to me as this romantic story, set against the background of the moors, which only add to the romance. Thus far, I'm just not seeing it. Neither of the main characters have me wanting them to end up together. Catherine is ridiculous and selfish, prone to dramatics and unaware of her own faults. After the blow up between Edgar and Heathcliff, she even goes so far as to say to Ellen "I thought, though everybody hated and despised each other, they could not avoid loving me" (119). She refuses to acknowledge that she has any part in the conflict, or that she has mistreated Heathcliff at all. It is interesting, though, that Bronte managed to create a "heroine" that is so far outside the expectations and ideals of a woman in that time period. Catherine speaks her mind and makes no apologies. The one thing she really manages to do that falls in line with expectations is marrying Linton, mostly for his social status. She chooses to ignore her love for Heathcliff, to whom a marriage would degrade her.

Not surprisingly, given my affinity for fictional "bad boys" as well as my interesting psychology and sociology, I find myself much more on Heathcliff's side. I think, based on his early affection for Catherine, that he had the potential to be, maybe not a good man, but certainly better than he turns out. His unknown early childhood certainly started the points stacked against him, and Hindley's open disregard exacerbates it. I think, though, had Catherine not slowly chosen Linton over him, and badge not overheard her seemingly low opinion of him, his main goal in life would not have become revenge. You can almost see him plotting when Catherine reveals Isabella's crushing him. I find myself looking forward to and dreading how far he's going to go to right the perceived wrongs against him.

As seems to be the case, the chapter that struck me the most in this section of reading was the one that dealt with gendered books. It's interesting to see what genres and subjects about which women were allowed to write. They could write romances and about things that dealt with the household, but adventure and even poetry were considered more for men, depending on the time period. Even though this discrimination and limitations are decreased today, there is still a certain stigma attached to "women's literature". "chick lit" is expected to be about friendships or love or finding fulfillment in marriage and children. Male authors are still the go tos when it comes to political commentary through literature or dark themes. This definitely shouldn't be the case, but I believe there is still a social limitation placed on where female authors are allowed and encouraged to tread.

Again, Manguel starts his argument with a mention of the physicality of books. Boy books were green, female books pink, and neutral books were bound in yellow. As someone who tends to shop new books by cover, this was something I could relate to. Similarly, I could relate to the feeling of shame when stepping outside of what is expected of you. A couple of years ago, I bought Twilight, just to see what the fuss was about. When the cashier asked me if I liked it, I immediately made up a fictional little sister whose birthday gift I was purchasing. I guess I felt that a 23 year old shouldn't be reading what was meant for teens and tweens, never mind the fact that the cashier was herself an elderly WalMart employee who probably had no idea of the intended audience. I don't buy the "fluff" books I read in paperback; instead I use my Kindle so that I can read without fear of silent judgement and scorn. I guess I should feel comfortable reading these female-centered books, but I think the label of "English Major" creates a certain expectation of acceptable material. And, of course, the people in the waiting room of my doctor's office in Rome can just look at me and tell that I am an intelligent English major, and would therefore be immediately embarrassed for me should I be caught reading Sarah Dessen in public.