Wuthering Heights: Feminist Criticism

I did not realize that Wuthering Heights was so ahead of its time. The fact that the Catherines, the main female characters in the novel, do not always act necessarily ladylike, or as women were expected to act in that day and age. They do face struggles with society, such as when Catherine decides to marry Edgar instead of Heathcliff. She really loves Heathcliff and would love to marry him, but social standard simply would not permit it. It amazes me that the women are so influenced by the societal standards that say who they can and who they cannot be with, instead of choosing who to be with because of who they love. Times have certainly changed, but it is still possible to relate to this now. Many women in today's culture decide not to be with men they truly care about just because of things like income and social status. However, we are lucky in that this is not necessarily the required course of action and we are not shunned for rebelling against it and being with who we love for the sheer fact that we love them.