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Wuthering Heights
Victorian England was notable for its increase in literacy rates and the popularization of novels that occurred (and the culture of reading for pleasure that developed with it). Reading grew more common across all classes. The female literacy rate shot up, though women still lagged slightly behind men. And, due to the rise of charitable institutions funded by philanthropists/religious groups that wanted to educate the masses, more and more working-class citizens learned how to read and write as well. Books grew cheaper, too, and were more frequently borrowed and lent by people and small libraries.
As reading grew more popular, illiteracy grew to be an embarrassment, a laughable offense in the eyes of more than just the upper crust. This is visible in Wuthering Heights: Hareton is alienated because he cannot read. He becomes more civil and acceptable once Catherine teaches him to; moreover, he develops as a person, reflecting the Victorian-era belief in self-improvement through education.
This time period is also notable for the rise of the novel. Though not a new genre, it became more popular in the 1800s. It appealed especially to women, who before were confined to reading religious texts; now, women began to read for pleasure and in leisure hours.
In this way, the developments during the Victorian era formed today's "reading culture": high literacy rates, relatively easy access to texts, and the development of the novel all were visible in this time and are still today.
Victorian England saw a rise in literacy rates, especially among upper-class men (though women caught up in the 1890s). The overall rate jumped from 53% in 1820 to 76% in 1870 (2). This is likely due to the increased standards of education for the lower classes in England in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
From Devon Lemire, "A Historiographical Survey of Literacy in Britain between 1780 and 1830": "It seems probable the increased education for the poor and working classes in Britain in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was an important factor contributing to the rise of literacy. The upper classes, of course, were able to send their sons to public schools and universities, which had become fairly restrictive. Conversely, the lower classes, who usually couldn’t afford the public schools, sent their children to charity schools or slightly higher class schools that had been endowed. Religious organizations or secular philanthropists who supported elementary education for the masses generally ran these schools." (1)
Before the popularization of the novel in the mid-1800s, most of the texts that circulated were what we would today call "non-fiction": histories, philosophical treatises, and "self-improvement" books. Women stuck to the Scripture and other religious works, as "self-improvement" literature was consumed mostly by men. After novels became more popular in the nineteenth century, women took to reading for leisure.
From Lemire: "Before the middle of the eighteenth century, there were few written works that women were supposed to be interested in reading. Most of the literature was what today is defined as non-fiction: philosophy, history and other “improvement” books. Women would have predominantly read books of sermons and the Scriptures. They did not have much to read in the way of novels or romances, and the “improvement” books were considered the domain of males. After the first novels came into publication an increased number of women became interested in reading for leisure." (1)
Thus, the novel became important during the Victorian era. As Kate Flint describes in her article, "Victorian Readers": "Victorians were great readers of the novel, and the number of novels available for them to read increased enormously during Victoria’s reign. The activity of reading benefited hugely from wider schooling and increased literacy rates, from the cheapening costs of publication, from improved distribution that resulted from better transportation, and, towards the end of the century, from the arrival of gas and electric lighting in homes, which meant that reading after dark no longer had to take place by candlelight or oil lamp." (3)
The sheer number of books available to the public increased as well. Since first editions of books were often expensive, a culture of borrowing books developed, and miniature lending libraries popped up. When later editions of a volume came out, or when the original went out of print, the price for that book dropped significantly, allowing more people to buy their own copies.
Flint: "Other novels were published from the first in volume form. Until the early 1890s, the most frequent pattern was for them to be published in three volumes. Since the new novel usually cost 31s6d (in 1880, say, roughly a startling £138 in today’s money – more than the average weekly industrial wage, at that time), these were almost always borrowed from circulating libraries. Some of these were locally owned businesses, but the best known was Mudie’s Circulating Library (founded 1842), which sent boxes of books all over the country to its subscribers. Other borrowing facilities were found at railway station bookstalls, which also sold reading matter for consuming on journeys. Agnes Repplier noted in 1893 how 'The clerks and artisans, shopgirls, dressmakers, and milliners, who pour into London every morning by the early trains, have, each and every one, a choice specimen of penny fiction with which to beguile the short journey, and perhaps the few spare minutes of a busy day. The workingman who slouches up and down the platform, waiting for the moment of departure, is absorbed in some crumpled bit of pink-covered romance. The girl who lounges opposite to us in the carriage, and who would be a very pretty girl in any other conceivable hat, sucks mysterious sticky lozenges, and reads a story called “Mariage à la Mode, or Getting into Society”.'"
Works cited
- Lemire, Devon. “A Historiographical Survey of Literacy in Britain Between 1780 and 1830.” Constellations 4 (1), 2013. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/constellations/index.php/constellations/article/view/18862.
- Roser, Max and Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban. "Literacy." OurWorldInData.org, 2018, https://ourworldindata.org/literacy.
- Flint, Kate. "Victorian readers." Discovering Literature, 15 May 2014, https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/victorian-readers.
The most important scenes involving books and reading take place towards the end of the novel, when the young Catherine teaches Hareton how to read. Literacy is clearly a civilizing marker, as the characters who can read are consistently portrayed as more socially acceptable - and more human - than those who cannot or do not. Reading allows for refinement, for better communication, and for a better connection with one's own emotions.
Chapter 21: Hareton can't read
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- Heathcliff on Hareton: "I've taught him to scorn everything extra-animal as silly and weak" (210) - including books (implied, because this is right before the scene where Catherine discovers Hareton's illiteracy)
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- Hareton, after being mocked by Linton, on reading: "'Why, where the devil is the use on 't?'" (212)
- Once Catherine's books are taken away from her, she becomes miserable. From chapter 31: "'I was always reading, when I had [books],' said Catherine, 'and Mr. Heathcliff never reads; so he took it into his head to destroy my book. I have not had a glimpse of one, for weeks...But I've most of them written on my brain and printed in my heart, and you cannot deprive me of those!'" (287)
- Zillah on education: "'And what will all her learning and her daintiness do for her, now? She's as poor as you or I -- poorer...'" (chapter 30, p282)
- Hareton and Catherine eventually bond over books in a "civilizing" process for Hareton.
In the end, Hareton transforms from a dirty, uncared-for wretch to a "respectably dressed" young man -- all because of Catherine's care and their mutual love, which grew over books. Thus, one of the takeaways from this novel is the importance of education -- not as a matter of advancing in social class, though that's certainly a part of it, but as something which can help people become their best selves.
Furthermore on the discussion of Heathcliff's inability to read and how it reflects his social class, this recognition of illiteracy is a strong indicator of the differences between the portrayed landscapes of Wuthering Heights vs the Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff's background alone is very important as it sets the tone for Wuthering Heights and the expectations of the people who live there. Being an orphan who was once brought to the Trushcross Grange, Heathcliff never truly felt like he belonged at the Trushcross Grange, nor was he very welcome there either, specifically by Hindley.
The character of Hindley became instantly jealous of Healthcliff due to all of the attention he was receiving from Mr. Earnshaw and Catherine, leaving this feeling of being replaced that Hindley was not fond of. In addition to being ostracized by Hindley, Heathcliff never truly fit into the lifestyle of the Trushcross Grange and was always the odd-man-out due to his impoverished background. Consequently, Catherine allowed this division of social classes to determine her future happiness by choosing to marry Edgar as opposed to Heathcliff because he possessed more gentleman-like qualities that would reflect the characteristics of the Thrushcross Grange.
After some time had passed and Heathcliff was no longer living at the Trushcross Grange, but rather Wuthering Heights, his characteristics began to reflect those of the estate in which he resided.
Wuthering Heights: Dark, mysterious, haunting, gloomy, aggressive, desolate, dirty Thrushcross Grange: Wealthy, high society, high status, traditional, family-values, well-kept
So, in part there is reason to conclude that the state of your home and your social status at this time of the Victorian Era completely reflected one's own personal characteristics and behavior.