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Emily Bronte uses books and education to display the importance of knowledge in class structure, the use of books to escape reality, and the use of books as silent communication in her novel, Wuthering Heights. First, Bronte uses education to exhibit how class is judged by knowledge. On one of young Cathy's outings, she meets Heathcliff, who presents to her Linton and Hareton, both her cousins. As the trio walks around the Heights; Linton and Cathy talk while Hareton remains silent. When they come to the main doorway, Cathy asks Hareton what the letters above the door say. Hareton says it is not important anyway. Cathy persists, and finally, Linton exclaims, mockingly, that Hareton doesn't know his letters. Cathy and Linton laugh gleefully humiliating the poor Hareton. They laugh because of his inability to read, and decide that since he is illiterate, he is of lower status than learned people such as them. His lower class is directly related to his knowledge. The ashamed, jealous Hareton decides to teach himself to read, to prove that he is of high class himself. When the widowed Cathy learns of this, she greatly admires the precocious boy. She accepts him and they fall in love. Cathy is pleased to find that Hareton is indeed worthy of her, as he has as much intelligence as any other high class man. She accepts him because he is now in the same class as her; he is no longer a simple-minded weakling. Knowledge is directly related to class structure. Next, the characters utilize books as a way of escaping reality. Catherine, pregnant with Cathy, has fallen deathly ill. There is little that can be sone for her. Miss Linton, Edgar's sister spends her time in the garden, moping about, while "her brother shut himself among books" (109). Catherine's tormented husband is having a difficult time trying to deal with the fact that his wife will most likely die, possibly before their child is born. To calm his soul, he shuts himself in the library, among the books. This helps distract his mind from the terrible reality of his life. The pages of fiction provide him with a door to another reality, where there are no problems of disease and death. Another example occurs when Lockwood prepares to leave the Grange on business. He hints that Cathy, who has been forced to live there, should write to Nelly, as Nelly grows so worried over her. She explains that she would, but she has nothing to write with, or anything to write on, nor any books to read. Lockwood, shocked, exclaims: "No books! How do you contrive to live here without them?" (274-75). Lockwood refers to the fact that without books, Cathy has no way to escape the horrid reality of her life at Wuthering Heights. She needs books, without them, she cannot lead herself to believe that her life is good. She is forced to remain in her dimension, an outcast of respectable society. Most importantly, Bronte illustrates how words can be spoken without speaking through books. When Linton and Cathy begin to fall in love, Edgar forbids Cathy to visit the Heights. Heartbroken, Cathy sends some of her precious books to Linton, as he has none of his own. Although it appears as a simple exchange of books, it means much more to Linton. He and Cathy view it as a show of affinity towards one another. As they cannot meet in person, the books symbolize themselves. Each exchange means another "visit" from one another. A second example is illustrated when Cathy, now in love with Hareton, woos him with a book. Hareton is angry at Cathy's continuous pesterings. Refusing to read, he storms off to his room. Cathy asks Nelly to take him a book. Later, Hareton returns, book in hand. With this motion, Cathy understands that Hareton has forgiven her and wants her to love him. The book "speaks" and asks forgiveness. Books can tell much more than just a story. The brilliant Emily Bronte has used her novel to show the importance education and books in human life. The public uses books to escape reality and to communicate among each other when more convenient methods are not an option. Knowledge is used as a guide to class, the smarter you are, the wealthier you will become. The author has shown us why books and knowledge are important. Perhaps we should listen to her and embrace them both.